“We mourn the holes in our community’s social fabric and believe that we can make a difference.” -Brian Dooley, Community Manager at Dia Feliz Adult Day Health Center
According to extensive research, America is shouldering an epidemic of loneliness. While the outbreak of COVID-19 certainly contributed to people’s lonely experiences, a striking number of adults in this country—about half—had already reported feelings of loneliness even before then.
And in Framingham, Mass., Brian Dooley and Maria McHugh felt called to do something about it.
During the summer of 2024, Dooley, the Community Manager at Dia Feliz Adult Day Health Center, met with McHugh, the Community Health Manager for the Framingham Department of Public Health, to discuss the National Good Neighbor Day initiative as well as the Massachusetts Coalition to Build Community & End Loneliness (endlonelinessma.com). During a follow-up conversation between McHugh and Susan Petroni, Framingham’s Public Information Officer, the idea for a free event where residents could “find their people” was born.
Framingham’s Inaugural “Find Your People” Fair
By gathering a collective of Framingham’s clubs, organizations, and other groups in one place on one day, Dooley, McHugh, and Petroni sought to assist local adults in connecting with their neighbors who share similar interests, hobbies, and passions.
With the support of Mayor Charlie Sisitsky and the venue of City Hall, the trio began working toward making Framingham’s inaugural “Find Your People” Fair a reality. But successfully pulling off such an ambitious undertaking in a very short timeframe (less than six weeks until National Good Neighbor Day on September 28th) would require the collaborative efforts of many people, so community partners played an important role.
“We relied on their enthusiasm and support for bringing this event to Framingham to spread the word and build interest,” McHugh said. “A huge ‘thank you’ also goes out to our dedicated facilities crew that quickly mobilized to ensure that our first [fair] ran smoothly.”
A Very Special National Good Neighbor Day
Utilizing online platforms like Framingham’s official website and Facebook page, as well as Petroni’s extensive connections, the planning committee garnered so much interest from organizations to participate that the number surpassed City Hall’s capacity! To pare down the list, certain criteria were established.
“We wanted to feature clubs and organizations that were based in Framingham, were open to all Framingham residents without a cost to participate, and represented a wide variety of topics and interests,” Petroni said.
More than 30 groups were represented, including County Line Quilters, Framingham Cultural Council, Framingham’s Department of Parks & Recreation, Gateway Camera Club, Golden Tones Chorus, and Samsara Yoga at The Gentle Place, as well as the local branches of the public library, YMCA, and Rotary Club.
Hope for Their Neighborhood’s Future
Despite the fact that approximately 200 neighbors attended this first-ever event, its founders don’t plan to stop there, but dream of having an even larger turnout for the second go-round. “We have already begun planning next year’s event, which will be part of the year-long celebration commemorating Framingham’s 325th anniversary,” McHugh said.
Like many Americans today, citizens of Framingham recognize that there are various factors dividing our society, but they’re striving to foster a greater sense of belonging, community, and hope – right where they live.
“We mourn the holes in our community’s social fabric and believe that we can make a difference, if we can get more people to understand our interdependence and try to create a shared vision for the future,” Dooley said.
“The reality is that we all want the best life possible, for ourselves and for those who follow us,” McHugh added. “Our ‘Find Your People’ Fair was one step towards making the future for Framingham better, together.”
What About Your Neighborhood?
Does your neighborhood have its own version of a “Find Your People” Fair? If not, is it something that you and your community might like to try for National Good Neighbor Day? Or maybe you’ve participated in another kind of activity to help you meet your neighbors, build connections, and increase a sense of belonging where you live. If so, tell us about it! We’d love to hear from you. hope@hopefulneighborhood.org
To watch Framingham’s “Find Your People” Fair in action, click here: Good Neighbor Day 2024 | Find Your People Fair – YouTube
To enjoy Framingham’s public art project highlighting the city’s creative and ethnic diversity, click here: “Many Cultures, One Heart” – Framingham Centre Common Cultural District