Celebrating neighbours
There are so many good neighbours in Kelowna who are invested in the well-being of their neighbourhood and are always willing to lend a helping hand. Celebrate these amazing neighbours with a simple thank you or kind gesture, give thanks on Neighbour Day or give them kudos through our Kind Neighbour Kudos program.
Neighbour Day
Neighbour Day is an annual celebration of community in which residents are encouraged to meet new neighbours, perform an act of neighbourliness, connect neighbours through a project or event or simply gather and have fun. Kelowna's ninth annual Neighbour Day was held on Sunday, May 5, 2024. Stay tuned for information about Neighbour Day in 2025!
The goal of Neighbour Day is to help build relationships between neighbours because knowing your neighbours can help transform neighbourhoods into welcoming, safe and inclusive places to live. Building social connections is especially important as it helps prevent loneliness, isolation, and depression, especially among the elderly, vulnerable and those new to Canada. It’s also a good opportunity to learn who lives around you and share the unique skills, passions and talents.
Getting involved in Neighbour Day doesn’t need to be a grand gesture, it can be as simple as taking the time to welcome a new neighbour to the area, hosting a neighbourhood BBQ, or having neighbours over for tea or coffee.
It doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment, condo, townhouse or detached home, there are many ways to connect with your neighbours. Here are a few suggestions:
- introduce yourself to a new neighbour
- invite a neighbour over for coffee or tea
- go on a walk or hike with your neighbours
- have a meal or BBQ with your neighbour
- host a block party or porch party
- host a karaoke, trivia, or talent show night
- put together a neighbourhood art gallery to highlight artists in your neighbourhood
- decorate sidewalks/streets/driveways with chalk
- leave kindness rocks around your neighbourhood
- organize a street scavenger hunt
- play a game of street hockey
- write kind notes to your neighbours
- have a gardening party and help your neighbours with their garden
- share baked goods or produce from your garden
- create a sharing list of everything you are willing to share with your neighbours (tools, recipes, skills, advice,)
- organize a community clean up
- have a driveway dance party
- walk the dog for your neighbour
- host an appetizer night
- have a card game tournament
- watch a sports game or movie together
- and so many other ways!
We encourage everyone planning a Neighbour Day event, activity or initiative to register their plans.
By registering, you:
- help us to see where and how many people are helping build strong neighbourhoods.
- will receive a Neighbour Day package including swag and resources to help make connections with neighbours easy.
- will be invited to the Strong Neighbourhoods year-end event in November to celebrate the various community projects, events, and neighbour acts of kindness that took place throughout Kelowna in 2024.
- will be entered into the draw to win one of two Neighbour Day prizes:
- Bouncy Castle support for your Neighbour Day event; or
- $100 gift card of your choice to put towards your Neighbour Day activity.
Kind acts of neighbours are what make a neighbourhood flourish. Acts such as stopping to say hello, helping with yard work, or sharing baked goods or garden harvests show care for one another and build connections between neighbours which in turn, build a strong neighbourhood. If you have a neighbour who deserves some kudos, we want to hear about them!
Tell us about your kind neighbour, and we will deliver a Kind Neighbour Kudos package for you to give to them. This includes a certificate, gift and thank you card. In addition, you have the option to enter them in a draw to win two tickets to an upcoming show at the Kelowna Community Theatre (show and date to be determined upon draw).
Give your kind neighbour some kudos
Big or small, these acts have an enormous impact on our neighbours and neighbourhoods. Our goal is to bring awareness to what it means to be a kind neighbour by helping you give kudos to those individuals who make your neighbourhood great! Maybe they:
- deliver meals to a neighbour during a tough time
- pick up garbage around the neighbourhood
- organize neighbourhood events
- help a neighbour with yardwork
- manage a community newsletter or group on social media
- organized a community project
- share their garden harvest or baked goods with neighbours
- always wave as you walk by
- organized a welcome for a new neighbour
- shows other acts of neighbourliness
Draws will take place 4 times a year in February, May, August, and November. For residents of Kelowna only. Neighbours can only be nominated once per year.
