National Night Out, a day in which communities come together and show the strength of their neighborhoods, occurred in neighborhoods all-around Easton and around the country on Tuesday August 5. I enjoyed breaking bread with neighbors and community members at the Potluck taking place at the 10th & Pine Community Garden!

I spoke with some police officers about some of the wa10506707_538178866281656_1176880342692999168_oys Easton has changed over the last decade, learning about the impact WWNP has had in the community. I chatted with another officer about farming and his experience with backyard gardening. I ate dinner with some faces that were new to me, and shared desserts with Sophia, Lynn, and Lexy, who were all present that evening, helping to organize the event and reveling in the success of the event. It was a pleasure getting to join everyone, and I want to express my sincerest gratitude to WWNP for organizing the event and bringing so many wonderful people together with good music and some awesome food!

This night highlighted the power of a community space and knowing your neighbors. The garden and the surrounding gravel parking lot transformed to a place for people to gather, share stories, and play in puddles from rain earlier in the evening. It was great to see that a community can come together over food and a beautiful summer night. All I did was show up with some mac & cheese, and I got to spend a few hours meeting new people and enjoying being a part of the community.

For pictures and more information about the event, check out the links below:

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2014/08/easton_national_night_out.html#incart_river

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.538178659615010.1073741868.383463098419901&type=1

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Weed-and-Seed/119142324763079

http://natw.org/

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What I’ve been reading:

http://www.co-intelligence.org/CIPol_CSWM.html

http://www.augustana.edu/general-information/presidents-office/sermons-and-homilies/three-attributes-of-a-strong-community

http://www.well.com/~bbear/hc_how_to.html

https://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/benefits/publications/carelink/tipsheets/community.pdf

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-healthcare-disparity-20140309-dto-htmlstory.html