With many New Zealanders potentially stuck at home in the coming months, there's no better time to connect with your neighbours.
In New Zealand, around 18,000 neighbourhood support groups are registered with Neighbourhood Support NZ - a not-for-profit that evolved out of the community policing programme Neighbourhood Watch.
Photo: Nina Strehl / Unsplash
While the organisation still works with the police on crime prevention, their other focus is on supporting people to bring their neighbours together, says chief executive Tess Casey.
"Safe communities are ones where people belong and feel they can contribute and where people know each other."
Although most people have support networks made up of family and friends, if you all get sick with Omicron or have to isolate at the same time, turning your neighbours into allies could be a big help.
To join an existing neighbourhood support group or get a new one up and running, Neighbourhood Support NZ can help out.
"All those little errands you or your family or support network might not be able to do for you in this situation."
Some neighbourhood support groups use WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or Facebook Groups to communicate but keep in mind though that phoning might be best if your neighbourhood includes people who aren't online, Casey says.
Registering your group with Neighbourhood Support NZ will help keep your information safe and connect you with support services, she says.
