Month: October 2014

Cool New Virtual Community Board

Lose your keys? Want to borrow a neighbour’s ladder? Or how about wanting to pay-it-forward by sharing a great recipe an employee at Moberly Natural Foods passed on? All these things and more are what you can do with a new program a few locals created recently, called 18Blocks.com.

Why are we blogging about this? It’s a not-for-profit with the aim of bringing neighbours together and helping each other. Which is basically what DECA is all about. How could we not get behind this thing and share? And the more people who register, the more useful it will be. We’ve set up a Halloween costume swap for this week. (You can also check out that excellent Sweet Potato-Squash-Coconut Soup recipe from Moberly.)

Here’s some further info and tips from the folks at 18Blocks.com:

Social media platforms connect us with people around the world. But how do we start a conversation with our neighbour? Or discover that someone living two streets over shares the same interests or concerns. We see familiar faces around the neighbourhood all the time. Putting names to those faces? That’s a different story.

We created 18Blocks to make ground zero – your neighbourhood – well, a little more familiar. Simply put, we’re a neighbourhood notice board – just like the one in your grocery store or public library – but with some 21st Century differences. Unlike conventional notice boards:

1. You can access us any time – on your coffee break or in your pajamas;
2. You can create beautiful notes, with colourful templates and multiple photos;
3. You can receive an instantaneous response, publically or privately.
4. You can keep your contact details private until you are ready to share them.
5. You don’t need to paper the poles of the neighbourhood to get your note read.
6. People don’t need to walk past to notice your note.

18Blocks was founded on a simple insight: that neighbours share more than a postal code. Now, neighbours can easily uncover common interests – like gardening, running, or books; resources –like used bikes, tools, or babysitters; and special talents – like tutoring, baking, or dog training.

It’s true. Sharing your time, resources and interests with those that live around you helps build stronger connections. The neighbourhood becomes more than a postal code; it becomes a community. And community is at the heart of 18Blocks, the neighbourhood notice board. You can visit the site at 18blocks.com to see how it works.

A couple of things to know:

Residents of Danforth East should be automatically placed on the Danforth East page when you come onto the site. If this doesn’t happen, select Danforth East from the Neighbourhood Map by typing Danforth East, Toronto, and then clicking the Danforth East button on the right of the may screen. You must be registered on the site to post notes.

Have Fun!