How to Use the NextDoor App to Help with Social Distancing

Neighborliness Redefined

“Perhaps the greatest update to the platform in this time is one that we’ve seen our neighbors take on: a new definition of neighborliness.”

Everyday people have started to help out their neighbors like never before. People have a lot more time on their hands to realize what matters in life, When you can’t readily fill your life with empty purchases and luxuries, your brain starts to miss that serotonin. To be honest, purchases and quick fixes will never provide enough serotonin to satisfy a person. Numerous studies show that acts of kindness flood the brain with serotonin as well as increase immune defenses. 

People all over the world have, without prompting of any kind, been helping their neighbors. Folks have been offering to get food shopping and cook for members of their community who are at increased risk or have difficulty getting out, people have been cooking, planning video calls to chat with people who are feeling lonely, mowing their neighbor’s grass, making masks, and have been finding a whole host of other ways to look after others.

The Neighborhood Help Map

Due to the outpouring of neighborly kindness witnessed recently, Nextdoor added the Neighborhood Help Map for people who are seeking help and those who are seeking to help. Neighbors needing help can look at the map to view and message nearby volunteers. Learn more about how to use the Help Map.

Asking for Help 

The way that NextDoor is set up makes it very easy to ask for help. These people are your neighbors, so it’s really more like asking soon-to-be friends if they could mow your grass, take out your trash, do your food shopping, make you a mask, and more. Social distancing and sanitization need to be taken into consideration when you ask for help. People can drop things off at your door, and sanitizing everything is the best policy. The same goes for any items you get from the store, have delivered, or for takeout food containers, bags and utensils you receive.

Neighborly Shopping 

Kinda like carpooling, it’s better and safer to have one person doing the shopping. Same goes for the whole neighborhood. You can offer to pick up essentials for people with disabilities or compromised immune systems or ask for help with your own shopping. Or you can ask others if they need any essential or other items you already have. 

Here’s a list of shopping essentials: 

• Non-perishable foods 
• Canned food
• Pet food
• Water 
• First aid kits
• Medical supplies 
• Prescription medications
• Toilet paper 
• Hand soap/sanitizer 
• Over the counter medicines

Nextdoor Groups

Nextdoor Groups help neighbors stay virtually connected to during social distancing. They can be used to offer help, request assistance, and ease the psychological impact of social distancing. See which help and support groups are already available to join in your neighborhood. 

What about creating your own group? Groups can be as creative as you like. You could start a general chat group, a seed exchange, pets pics, DIY crafts, virtual drawing club, and more. Learn how to create a group here.

Other ideas for groups you can create in your neighborhood: 

• Carer and hospital staff groups: are you a home carer or do you work in a hospital? Maybe start a chat with your fellow carers.
• Humor groups: laughter = therapy. Set the stage by creating a meme sharing group or joke sharing group.
• Parenting groups: Children are home for the rest of the year. They have also been mandated to teach their kids from a set curriculum whilst also working or going about their other daily life tasks. You could create a group for parents to share teaching styles, discuss how to keep their kids active, entertained, and fed at home.
• Elderly check-in groups: This time can be especially isolating for older adults. Groups can be organized for volunteers to periodically virtually check-in with seniors in the area to see if they need any groceries, medications, or just someone to talk to. 
• Hobby groups: Now that neighbors are staying home more, there’s more time for hobbies like reading, crafting, gardening, etc. Joining or starting hobby groups may ease the boredom, isolation, and loneliness that some neighbors may be experiencing. 
• Virtual social groups: connect with your neighbors via video chat. The chats can be given a theme or just stay generalized.

See other groups and events in your area.

Find accurate information

Nexdoor is bringing together posts from agency partners, official local updates, and public health officials like the CDC and WHO in a dedicated section called COVID-19 Updates that’s displayed prominently in your Nextdoor newsfeed. This way you can access the latest news and resources from your local public agencies without wondering if the information is correct and hoping that it’s current.

Support local businesses

Many local businesses have been hit hard by the CoronaVirus outbreak. According to Nexdoor, conversations on the app about supporting small local businesses have increased 17X during this crisis. So, how can you help support local businesses while still practicing social distancing?

If they’re available, you can purchase gift cards to continue to safely support local businesses. Some businesses will have an option to purchase gift cards through their website. If not, try calling and/or emailing your local business to see if you can purchase a gift card to either give to someone or to keep to use at a later date. For businesses listed on Nextdoor, their profiles now have a “Gift card” field where businesses can enter a custom URL that makes it easy for customers to visit their website to purchase a gift card. 

There are also quite a few delivery apps that allow you to order takeout or curbside pickup. Some notable apps are Uber Eats, Postmates, and Door Dash.

About Stephen’s Place

Stephen’s Place is an independent apartment community for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, located in Vancouver, WA (7 minutes from Portland, OR).

If you have a loved one with developmental or intellectual disabilities, who is looking for a community to live in, please contact us for more information. 

Stephen’s Place is a private-pay apartment community due to our state-of-the-art amenities and programs. We are a nonprofit and do not profit from our community. We are private pay because we spend more than some housing communities to ensure that our residents are comfortable and can safely live their lives with independence and dignity.