We did it! Together, our community hosted 156 tables, surpassing our 150 Tables Across COS goal!
When we launched 150 Tables Across COS in collaboration with the statewide 150 Tables Across Colorado initiative in May, we sent out the invitation and spread the word. But it took neighbors all across Colorado Springs to make it happen. Hosts in all 6 City Council districts opened up their driveways, backyards, porches, and parks, and their neighbors showed up.
Read the Gazette's report: Hey Neighbor Hits Goal of 150 Neighborhood Tables in Colorado Springs
And watch KOAA's great report on the 156th table: Southeast Colorado Springs Family Turns Halloween into a Chance to Connect
Here's what those tables made possible:
- More than 12,000 neighbors gathered, based on host estimates
- 94% of hosts met someone new
- 92% made plans to stay connected with someone they met
- 89% feel more connected to their neighbors
- 100% said they're likely or very likely to host againAnd wow, did our hosts get creative. Tables included:
Classic block parties, BBQs, potlucks, and taco bars
Driveway donuts and coffee, pancake breakfasts, and pie in the park
Ice cream socials, pint parties, and even a tomato party
Live jazz on the porch, music in the park, and salsa lessons
Kids' bike parades, a Little Free Library grand opening, and a historical walking tour
Cookbook clubs, movie discussions, ladies' teas, and a costume cocktail party
A 90th birthday for a memory care resident and a Colorado 150th birthday bash.
Even a 1950s Fourth of July dinner, complete with a Jell-O salad competition!
Every one of these tables is proof of how much good is already happening in our neighborhoods. It's also a reminder of how simple it can be to push back against loneliness and isolation. A driveway, some donuts, and an invitation really can change a street.
And this is just the beginning. Hosts told us their neighbors asked to get together more often, and many are already planning the next one. One neighborhood learned a neighbor was expecting and decided to throw her a future baby shower. That's the ripple effect we dream about: tables that become traditions, and gatherings that happen more and more often, until knowing your neighbors is simply how life works here.
With more than 12,000 points of connection across our city, we can only imagine how far those ripples will extend.
To every host who set a table, every neighbor who pulled up a chair, and every partner who helped along the way: thank you. You're building vibrant communities so we can all love where we live.
