“It takes a village, but where’s the village?” Vanessa Elias asked an audience of advocates, city officials, and technical professionals at the 2025 National Gathering.
As a mental health activist, certified parent coach, and community advisor, Elias is very familiar with the struggles facing most families and cities today. The suburban built environment, combined with widespread social media dependence and an extremely divisive political climate, make it difficult for people to form real connections.
This sustained loneliness and strain has the same impact on your physical and mental health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, Elias stressed.
The impacts are felt by everyone, but they’re especially harmful for children and young adults. Unstructured, mixed-age free play helps kids develop mentally. Most modern children and young adults have been deprived of this experience, instead spending their childhoods online and in structured, age-divided activities like sports teams. “Their prefrontal cortex hasn’t had enough experiences, to [the point] where there’s a five-year gap,” Elias explained. “So your 20-year-old is more like what you were like at 15.”
If we want to stop the loneliness epidemic, give children the experiences they need, and provide a better life for everyone, we need to get back to the core of community: The people who live in your neighborhood. These are the people who can actually support you in tangible ways and provide face-to-face connections that span generations and ideological divides.
Currently, a third of Americans don’t know their neighbors and 45% have no interaction with their neighbors, Elias said. But that doesn’t mean people are opposed to the idea. In fact, Americans tend to say they’d be willing to support their neighbors — for example, by watching their kids in an emergency or lending a cup of sugar — but they don’t think their neighbors would be willing to do the same. If people could only bridge that gap, they could form the supportive relationships they need.
Enter the block party.
“A block party is a free, simple, and actionable cure for our country’s loneliness, divisiveness, social isolation, and youth mental health crisis,” Elias said. Specifically, she’s referring to local gatherings with people who live in the 20-30 homes closest to you. That proximity is essential in forming a supportive community.
Gathering in the same place to enjoy some food and simple games is the foundation for connection, Elias said. It gives people permission to reach out to their neighbors and start building relationships rooted in their shared place. Because of block parties, she has seen people bridge political divides and feel like they belong in their neighborhood for the first time. She’s watched children become best friends and young adults gain confidence and job experience by helping neighbors with chores. She’s watched her neighborhood become a place where people will pick up medication for each other, drive each others’ kids to school, and support each other in dozens of other ways.
Seeing the impact on her own community inspired Elias to expand her efforts. She founded Block Party USA and now works to bring block parties to every neighborhood in America. So far, the initiative has spread through 46 states, the District of Columbia, and five countries. It’s been recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General, the author of “The Anxious Generation,” and many others as a way to connect people.
How To Organize a Block Party
Elias’ number one recommendation for organizing a block party? Keep it simple. “This is not a Pinterest moment. This is not about making it beautiful. It is simply about gathering with your neighbors.” You don’t need to close down the street or rent a bouncy house. In fact, the more simple and informal the setting, the more comfortable people will be.
It’s also vital to remember that you are not hosting the block party. You are organizing it. You are not responsible for feeding everyone or providing drinks and supplies. While Elias does recommend having name tags, food, a sign-in sheet, and simple activities like chalk and kickball, you don’t have to be responsible for all of those. Invite everyone to bring what they can.
Finally, don’t stress about how many people show up. People are busy, and not attending one block party doesn’t mean they’re not interested in connecting with their neighbors. Focus on connecting with the people who could attend, and keep organizing block parties. The effort is worth it. As Elias said, “You’re creating community just by having a block party. Is it instant? No. But the joy is instant.”
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Want to hear from Vanessa Elias herself? Join us for a live virtual workshop on October 9, where she’ll share three ways to build a neighborhood where kids can be independent.
