One of the most fun and community-centric gatherings in Colorado Springs just turned 10 this month! Porchfest, which happens every September in the Patty Jewett neighborhood, kicked off once again on Sunday, September 13^th, with porches turned into lively stages, food trucks lining neighborhood streets, full bike racks, and kids being pulled in wagons from one house to the next.

Recently, Hey Neighbor’s new Community Coordinators hosted their first meet-ups with Neighborhood Leaders in their districts. Each gathering looked a little different, but they all had one thing in common: good conversation and connection.

If you’ve ever tried learning a new language, you know the golden rule: if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it! Platicámos organizer Mia, founder of local organization Brave Irene’s, knows this all too well. After living in Mexico with her family for six months, she saw a need for a space in Colorado Springs where people could practice Spanish and connect with others, so she created Platicámos, which translates to “we chat.”

When my family left our Florida home of 6 years this summer, we knew we were leaving behind great neighbors.

We had hosted our neighbors for many gatherings and were on speed dial for cat-sitting and food-sharing. We knew what was going on in the lives of our neighbors and they knew we were always available to talk at the mailbox.

Saturday, September 26, brought Westside neighbors together for a lively Westside Coffee and Hangout at Bristol Park. Over coffee, lemonade, and donuts, 23 neighbors reconnected with familiar faces, welcomed new neighbors, and enjoyed a beautiful morning in their local park.

A few years ago, as my husband and I walked our kids around the neighborhood on Halloween we noticed something we had never really thought about before:

This fall, we’re partnering with Weave: The Social Fabric Project to bring people together for its first-ever BIG READ, a nationwide reading experience centered on David Brooks’ “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.” From Oct. 1–Nov. 5, readers across the country will explore the book and practice the skills that help us see, understand, and connect with one another more deeply.

Angela has helped bring neighbors together throughout the years, creating opportunities for people of different ages and stages of life to cross paths. That matters in a neighborhood where new families are continually arriving and longtime residents including elderly neighbors may otherwise find themselves increasingly disconnected.

Some of the best community building doesn't take a committee, a budget, or a plan... just a driveway, a few lawn chairs, and a flock of pink flamingos. Learn how Wolf Ranch Elan neighbor, Joani Walsh, brought a 20 year old tradition from her neighborhood in Minnesota to her neighborhood in Colorado Springs

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending Kimberly’s annual ice cream social (and a 150 Table!) in Pleasant Valley. As soon as I walked through the door and met her for the first time, Kimberly greeted me with a big hug. I immediately felt the warmth and welcome she extends to all her friends and neighbors.

Organized by the Fountain Creek Watershed District, this year's annual cleanup will take place September 26 through October 6. From Palmer Lake to Pueblo, volunteers of all ages and abilities are invited to help remove litter from local waterways, parks, and open spaces. 

Sunshine, smiles, and a whole lot of community spirit took over North Shooks Run Park on Saturday, August 8, as the Middle Shooks Run Neighborhood Association (MSRNA) hosted its annual Summer Fest!

Hey Neighbor is one of 10 organizations across Colorado to receive a 2026 Leadership Practitioner Catalyst Grant from the Boettcher Foundation.

Pastor Mady Long and Outreach Apprentice Mac Conn both work with youth at the church and asked about service projects in the neighborhood. Since many neighbors of all ages utilize the park at all hours of the day, Executive Director Kelly Bull and District 3 Community Coordinator Maria Cordova suggested cleaning up litter where Spring Run Creek runs through Meadows Park and feeds into Fountain Creek. In addition to signing up for the Clean Up the young people also agreed to help pull weeds from front yards that have been converted into edible rain gardens.

Dwan first connected with Hey Neighbor through Neighborhood University, where she discovered a community committed to helping people build meaningful relationships right where they live. The message resonated deeply because it reflected something she had already been seeing in the small business community.

After 25 years of calling Newport Heights home, Michele Brown is still finding new ways to bring her neighbors together. When she saw a flyer about Hey Neighbor’s 150 Tables Across COS initiative at her church, she decided to host a Table of her own. Although she had never planned a block party before, Michele rolled up her sleeves and went door to door, delivering flyers and taping invitations to the neighborhood mailboxes.

What if the cure for a lonely neighborhood was as simple as a folding table in your driveway? One woman's story of turning silence and closed doors into cookies, hot chocolate, and neighbors who finally know each other's names.

If you've ever skipped a cleanup because you pictured three hours of clean up in a "really nasty spot," we get it. The traditional model is brutal. TOSC built the One Bag Challenge around a different idea entirely: pick up what you can in one bag!

Once the summer launches and the fun begins, I feel like time speeds up and things start flying by me faster than I can register them. So I wouldn’t be surprised if you missed the release of our Annual Report, I would have!

Last month, our staff gathered at Stellina Pizza Cafe in Mid Shooks Run for a fundraising night benefiting Hey Neighbor. Ten percent of the evening’s proceeds were graciously donated to Hey Neighbor, and all four Community Coordinators were there to connect with patrons and share more about our work.