Frogtown Green kicks off neighbor Night

Rennie Gaither

November has arrived! Temps have fallen. The 2024 presidential election has concluded. Please don’t mind the rash of autumn lovers, like myself, prowling city streets, relishing sounds, smells, dances of leaf litter and occasional sleet or snow. Full disclosure: We’re happily mad and thankful for full moons, raw winds, and nature’s leavings.
Wait! Did I leave out communion and knowledge sharing with others? Frogtown Green has developed a new package of programs designed around public health and environmental issues of importance gleaned from conversations with Frogtown residents. This best practice, bottom-up approach to programming using direct feedback from neighbors is a winning strategy!
The idea of planned face-to-face information sharing with neighbors began with casual conservation. Ironically, serendipity has a way of seeding planned deliberation. I have to put that thought to use in my poetry!
Xiem Busch-Vuong, the outreach coordinator and Americorps member serving at Frogtown Green, helped develop the Neighbor Night program and explained its origin. The story goes that after a summer gardening session, one of Frogtown Green’s regular volunteers proposed a Frogtown Green happy hour of sorts, according to Xiem. “He wanted us to have an evening, at least monthly, where we could stay in contact with our volunteers over the winter. He didn’t want to say goodbye to us!”
Xiem thought the idea was not just fun, but essential to maintaining connections to the community year-round, especially during winter, when people need something to look forward to. “I hope with these meetings, we can meet and develop community leaders, learn to trust and rely on each other, and find strength and pride in being Frogtowners,” Xiem said.
Funding for the Neighbor Night series comes from a Ramsey County Trusted Messenger Initiative Grant. The initiative works to bridge the gap between county public health information and marginalized communities by empowering local organizations – termed trusted messengers – to “give residents better access to accurate, culturally specific, and linguistically appropriate public health information and healthcare services that align with the community’s needs.”
In October, Frogtown Green, partnering with a resident, hosted a block party on the corner of Lexington and Lafond. Around 30 adults and children attended and filled out surveys that assessed their interest in learning about or receiving resources about topics at Neighbor Night.
Six topics rose to the top among those surveyed: Soil health and remediation; waste reduction network building; tool maintenance; mending and sewing; air pollution education; and best gardening practices, including ripeness identification of common crops. These and other topics will be covered in upcoming Neighbor Nights, always the first Thursday of the month, on Dec. 5, Jan. 2, Feb. 6, March 6, April 3, and May 1. Neighbor Night is housed at the Frogtown Community Center, 230 Como Avenue in St. Paul.
On Nov. 7, the inaugural Neighbor Night, happenings included a free meal and a used item swap. Frogtown Green co-director, Chris Stevens prepared a plant-based dinner, lovingly served in upcycled bowls.
Frogtown Green hopes future session topics will continually take shape and evolve through community feedback in the busy year ahead!
Rennie Gaither is a Frogtown Green volunteer. Frogtown Green is a resident-led and volunteer-powered environmental initiative in St Paul’s most diverse neighborhood. If you’d like to know more, browse frogtowngreen.com or call 651-757-5970.