Citizens’ Greener Evanston and the City of Evanston are underway in promoting 10,000 Neighbors, a campaign designed to encourage community collaboration and more sustainable lifestyles.
The groups presented the idea at the Sept. 19 Evanston City Council meeting and have recruited a membership of 198 city residents to date, according to the campaign’s website.
“So far, we’re off to a good start,” said Catherine Hurley, the city’s sustainable programs coordinator. “It really focuses on inviting all members of the community to help engage in local sustainability efforts.”
The campaign strives for sharing among the community, a concept that builds bonds between neighbors, saves money and encourages sustainability, Hurely said. She added the concept behind 10,000 Neighbors is best captured in its slogan – “putting us in sustainable.”
The cornerstone of the campaign is OhSoWe.com, a website where members can post items for others to borrow called “shareables.” “Shareables” can range from garden tools to camping gear to kitchen appliances, according to the website.
Elizabeth Porporato, a member of Citizens’ Greener Evanston, said any resident can sign up, a feature of the campaign that brings together diverse populations of Evanston.
“These days, we don’t know our neighbors,” Porporato said. “It’s a way to get in touch with their thoughts and ideas.”
The interaction between neighbors could spark change in residents’ lifestyles, Hurley said.
“So too often now, we are all siloed in our own little dwellings and don’t really know our neighbors as well as the generation or two before us,” she said. “It’s going to really make people reevaluate how they use goods in their houses, how they purchase things and how they can collaborate with other people,” Hurley said.
The website also serves as a forum where members can engage in discussions with one another.
Hurley said she envisions the website serving as a “one stop shop for all things sustainability.”
“I think it’s actually going to be really revolutionary,” Hurley said. “This is probably the first really large scale launch OhSoWe has done with this big of a purpose to really engage the entire community around pretty exciting sustainability projects and objectives.”
