November cold brought with it significant change and accomplishment for us here at Center for Neighborhoods. As the wintry weather rushed in, we celebrated the graduation of the latest Neighborhood Institute cohort, convened over 200 civic-minded Louisville neighbors at our annual Neighborhood Summit, and – with tremendous excitement – announced the arrival of our new Executive Director, Mellone Long, who will join us in December!

At our Neighborhood Summit on November 9th we issued a call to action: “Go be neighbors!” The overwhelming spirit in the room that day was energetic; there are so many Louisville neighbors eager to get to work in their communities! But as important as action is, it is equally important to pause and acknowledge achievements, however small they may seem, in order to stay motivated, hopeful, and inspired. During his keynote at the Summit, Jason Webb of Grounded Solutions offered advice to those working to create neighborhood change: make time to celebrate, he said, and commemorate all your accomplishments, big and small.

There is a lot of exciting work coming up during the next few months (winter’s cold but it ain’t slow!) but for now, as the holidays approach, we’re taking a moment to pause, remember, and celebrate in gratitude.

To the members of the Neighborhood Institute Fall 2019 cohort – thank you! 12 weeks of dedication and intention; 12 weeks of relationship-building, meaningful conversation, laughter, and learning; 12 weeks of incredible food from across Louisville; 12 weeks of your journey as change-makers and community builders in Louisville. With gratitude, congratulations!

To the participants of our 4th annual Neighborhood Summit – thank you! From a hands-on DIY urbanism workshop to a panel of young change-makers positively impacting the city, this year’s Neighborhood Summit showcased incredible passion and commitment to creating positive community change. Because of YOU, our Louisville neighbors, we are grateful.

As November wraps up and the holidays approach, we hope you make time to reflect on your growth and impact, and to celebrate even the little wins. Have you made some progress on a project? Is there someone or something in your community you are feeling grateful for? Who would YOU like to thank this holiday season?