09/05/2022
The Arlington is more than an Arlington county neighborhood; it is a community. The Arlington was originally established in 1950 as apartments that were converted in late 1980 to the current 518 condo units, which are inhabited by owners and renters from every walk of life.
The dictionary describes community as a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals. A strong sense of community can make or break the heart of a neighborhood. Living in The Arlington, we share common walls and entryways but should it be more than that? Building The Arlington’s sense of community starts at the individual level, with the simple act of being a thoughtful neighbor. Smile, say “hello,” check in on each other, and foster goodwill.
With this thought in mind, one of our longtime residents, Clelia, had an idea to help connect and support neighbors, by establishing a network of residents that conduct daily check-ins.
The Arlington has a large population of residents that live alone, telework extensively, or that are otherwise housebound and may appreciate a daily or periodic check-in. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of regular social contact. There have been numerous stories in DMV area, including one woman who had fallen and had been incapacitated for 4 days before someone (her local postal worker) realized she was in trouble and got her assistance.
I believe that the delay was not that her neighbors did not care, just that they did not know! I have lived at the Arlington for over 20 years and realized that, except for my immediate neighbors, I do not know most of my neighbors on my block well enough to recognize that they might be in trouble at home.
The above story got me thinking, as I am a senior at The Arlington and recently had a couple of medical issues. I was concerned that if I should be incapacitated at home, how would anyone know to call for help and/or arrange care of my pets? So I established an email protocol with a friend in DC who happens to have a key to my home. We email each other every day (just a good morning or other short message). If one of us does not email the other, a call is made to make sure everything is OK. If email and phone contact is not working after a set time, a home visit is made.
Earlier this year I posted a note on Town Square Forum to see if there was any interest in setting up a daily check-in with neighbors. I got four responses from folks that wanted to volunteer. One person even suggested she could make a home visit with her dog!
Since not everyone reads Town Square Forum on a regular basis, I am hoping that this article will reach more folks who may be interested in receiving or providing a check-in by email, telephone or maybe even in person. You do not need to say why you would like a check-in if you do not want to. Maybe you just would like the outreach and possibly make a new friend.
If you would like a daily, periodic check-in, or to just be part of a group that would provide daily check-ins, or even if you just want to provide feedback, please let me know at [email protected].
