Residents and Councilmember Gather for Coffee, Community, & Conversation
About a year ago, Neighborhood University graduate and City Council hopeful Kimberly Gold hosted her first Hey Neighbor Cafe. Thinking back now, she remembers, “about four participants sitting around her dining table, getting to know each other” and discussing their Spring Creek neighborhood lives.
Fast forward to Friday, February 27, 2026, and Councilmember Gold welcomed at least 30 people to her second gathering (the largest Hey Neighbor Cafe yet) held at the Deerfield Hills Community Center. As the first sitting Colorado Springs city councilmember to host a Cafe, Gold couldn’t have been happier to meet with such a large number of engaged community members.
Neighborhood Cafe, one of the programs run by Hey Neighbor, encourages “a casual conversation between Colorado Springs residents.” Gold and Lelia Gibson-Green (Districts 4/6 Community Coordinator) invited many Southeast residents, who comprised most of those in attendance. Additionally, several others joined in from the southwest, northeast, and central neighborhoods of Colorado Springs, as well as Security and Widefield. Attendees communed, shared concerns and ideas, sipped coffee provided by Kangaroo Coffee, and enjoyed donuts from Amy’s Donuts.
This robust group of residents was eager to share concerns, neighborhood history, and creative ideas for positive change for the Southeast as well as for the city at large. Longtime residents told of changes they’d seen over the years in the district, and Gold shared a personal narrative about discovering her voice for social justice as a child. Others announced plans and made suggestions including the following:
A scheduled Deerfield Hills community cleanup on Saturday, March 21
Continued investment in the Southeast Strong plan
How best to engage voters, especially young voters (given that District 4 had the poorest voter turnout of all the districts in the last council election) and to organize a voter registration drive
Ways to encourage engagement of our youth through family-friendly community activities and effective communication tools
Simulations of council meetings to help residents feel empowered to attend and speak confidently at city council meetings
Jargon training for such meetings and better ways to simplify the often confusing language within ballots and election blue books
Clearly, this “casual conversation” resulted in a vibrant connection between our councilmember and her constituents. As one of those constituents, I loved discovering the Deerfield Hills neighborhood, meeting so many interested people, and feeling a sense of hope and empowerment for our community’s future. Gold plans to host monthly gatherings throughout her district to continue the momentum begun with this morning's cafe, so please watch for more details.
Although having a public servant host a Hey Neighbor Cafe sends an inviting message to a large group, any resident can host such an event. Do you know at least six of your neighbors who would like to share some coffee and ideas for bettering our community near or far? If so, please connect with Hey Neighbor for more information at Neighborhood Gatherings and reap the benefits of building community with others.
