Neighborhood Nites is a free monthly event hosted by Portland nonprofit Neighborhood House, located at 201 North 25th Street. According to its website: “Neighborhood House has called the Portland area home for over 60 years. For 127 years, Neighborhood House has been a safe and supportive place for infants, kids, families, and seniors to connect with one another. Today, our mission, vision, and values reflect our hope for an equitable future.”
At the March event, more than 120 people packed the Portland facility, which features all sorts of programming from infant care to youth basketball to elder services, a range of services which director of development Jessie Whitish called “twinkles to wrinkles.” The able staff efficiently met the needs of the growing crowd, hustling in more tables and chairs and providing a warm community atmosphere.
Jessie served as host for the event, which featured food from Germantown barbecue favorite Four Pegs and music from DJ Samosa. (She said there was also an emergency stash of Indi’s fried chicken in case they ran out of food). She led interactive exercises to get the crowd to share what’s new and good in their worlds, and many people claimed how excited they were that there were so many people in attendance, along with wishes for peace and expressions of gratitude. Several partner non-profit organizations were on hand, including the Louisville Orchestra, which has played a number of free concerts at the location, Simmons College and many social and healthcare organizations focused on women’s wellness as well as financial literacy.
Jessie said they started Neighborhood Nites post-COVID, around three years ago. “We wanted something to offer, a drop-in event for the whole family,” she said, noting that around half the crowd were involved in some kind of programming at Neighborhood House.
She said you have to cultivate relationships in order to make change. “In 2023, tried to take it to another level of engagement, more neighborhood and community building. We’ve hit the recruitment hard, and this a such a great turnout.”
To learn more about Neighborhood House – and the next Neighborhood Nites and other events — visit their website at nhky.org and follow them on social media (Facebook: Neighborhood House; Instagram: @nhlou).
Join them on May 16th from 5:30-7:00 PM for this month’s Neighborhood Nite. Enjoy a catered meal from Wiltshire Pantry, DJ, family engagement activities, and hear from community partners. Get to know your neighbors and learn more about your community. Neighbor Nite is held at 201 N. 25th St., Louisville, KY.
