Doylestown Neighbors Share Ways Of Strengthening Community Connections

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA ? Doylestown residents shared their ideas for building stronger neighborhood connections during a panel discussion hosted by the Doylestown Borough Emergency Preparedness and Communications Board.

The event, ?Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Building Stronger Neighborhood Connections,? featured local residents who have been quietly fostering strong community bonds for years, from porch parties to block directories and neighborhood food drives.

Panelists Amy, Ann, and Dan (DG) shared how their own neighborhood groups began and what keeps them thriving.

Amy, a Borough Council member and sixth-generation Doylestown resident, shared that her block?s tradition of porch parties began 20 years ago ? even surviving a thunderstorm and lightning strike at their very first gathering. Her group now maintains a printed neighborhood directory with photos, phone numbers, and emails so neighbors can reach each other even when cell service is down.

Residents share their "connection" ideas. (Photo by Larry Browne)

Ann, who manages a communications circle along East Court and Belmont Streets, explained how her group evolved from paper flyers to a reliable email system, welcoming newcomers with friendly visits and conversation.

?When someone moves in, I make a point to stop by and introduce myself,? she said. ?You get to know their names, their pets. Welcoming new neighbors and helping them connect with those who?ve been here for a long time is very important.?

Dan (DG), whose block community grew from Doylestown?s ?porch culture,? shared how personal connections are key.

?For us, the best thing was when someone moves in, going out and saying hello,? he said. ?It?s easy to say, ?Oh, I?ll get to it,? but then a month goes by, and another month ? If you don?t put it off, you?ll soon find yourself waving to your neighbors.?

Dan?s group combines informal neighborly gestures - like walking kids to school together or shoveling sidewalks for older residents ? with organized activities such as block parties and a Super Bowl Sunday food drive that benefits local food banks. ?You have to have a core group,? he added. ?Encouraging people to take on roles makes it easier to keep things going.?

Audience members also shared their experiences and challenges, including the need to balance digital tools with personal outreach and to include renters as full participants in neighborhood life.

Panelists agreed that the heart of neighborhood resilience is simply getting to know your neighbors.

?Doylestown has always been a porch town,? Amy said. ?Our porches and sidewalks are the original social networks.?

The panel discussion was hosted by the newly formed Emergency Preparedness and Communications Board, which advises Borough Council on local preparedness levels and communication strategies. Its mission is to educate, prepare, and raise the emergency readiness of Doylestown?s residents and businesses ? before, during, and after emergencies or disasters.

The Board collaborates with borough leadership to enhance public communications and is exploring the creation of a volunteer registry of residents and businesses who can be trained and mobilized to support first responders. This volunteer network would help maintain caches of supplies, assist in emergency shelters, and strengthen local resilience through education and community engagement.

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For more information about how to begin a neighborhood communications circle, contact the Doylestown Borough Emergency Preparedness & Communications Board at Doylestown Borough.