Mayor McCarthy declares this week Say Hi to Your Neighbors Week

By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy and local nonprofit REACH Beyond Domestic Violence have declared Feb. 5 through Feb. 12th “Say Hi to Your Neighbors Week" as part of the organization's Small Actions campaign to end domestic violence.

According to Allison Berry, REACH's community organizer, saying hello to strangers, acquaintances and neighbors can help create a safer community, break the isolation people experiencing violence feel, and help citizens look out for each other.

"The personal connection to one another makes a difference – people will talk to someone they know about their problems before going to someone like REACH," Berry said. "Families and neighbors are the first people to know. It's about building relationships."

During this week, local businesses, elected officials, and worship leaders will work together to spread the word about the seven-day event, passing out yellow fliers and encouraging residents to get to know their neighbors.

The organization has a goal of 2,012 locals greeting people they wouldn’t otherwise know. So far, on an online tool where residents can log their actions, 283 have participated.

"Not everyone will go online for the map, so we know for a fact that it's much bigger, but it's a neat way to use technology," Berry said.

So far, several churches - including the First Lutheran Church of Waltham, the First Parish Waltham, and Christ Church Episcopal - have announced the week-long initiative this past Sunday.

Monday, owners of In A Pickle restaurant on Main Street hosted "Break the ice with icing," where customers could sign up to send a free Yum Bunnies cupcake to a neighbor with "HI" written on top.

In A Pickle employees will distribute approximately 35 Belmont-based donated cupcakes Wednesday, Berry said.

Other events this week include a meet-up at Marcou Jewelers on Moody Street this morning, passing out "Hi" cards to local businesses and organizations, saying "Hi" to senior citizens after Bingo, live updates at Back Pages Books, and meet-and-greets with local state officials like Rep. John Lawn and Rep. Thomas Stanley.

The initiative has a growing Twitter following, with a handle, @SmallActions, and a trending phrase, #sayhiwaltham.

REACH will also host four more initiatives as part of their Small Actions campaign up until their Fall Festival this year.

The next event will focus on following up with greeting neighbors by grabbing a cup of coffee and talking more in-depth, where local restaurants like In A Pickle will distribute free coffee vouchers for participants, Berry said.

"We want to encourage people to take the next step – if coffee isn’t your thing, have some tea or go out for a beer, or call someone or stop by and visit a neighbor," Berry said.

Following coffee, REACH will then focus on listening to others, knowing about available resources, and finally, actually being a resource.

"In the last couple events we will do training, such as what to do and what to say if someone is experiencing violence, what's your role in that, who to talk to, and when to reach out," Berry said.

For more information, email Berry at allison@reachma.org.

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Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jreiss.globe@gmail.com