Motivate the Community
Interpersonal, small-group, and community communications are effective ways to introduce your message to residents and business owners and others who may frequent the neighborhood. You can also gather feedback from individual residents and groups to learn their expectations for Weed and Seed and their need for services. For a more indepth discussion, see the marketing section of this toolkit.
Getting Started
- Set up a table in an area with heavy foot traffic and ask passers-by to share their expectations and needs via a short interview or questionnaire.
- Hold a meeting at your Safe Haven or community center, inviting residents and business owners to share their needs and expectations and join committees that allow them to help solve community problems.
- Committee and board members at the Central Expansion Weed and Seed in Minneapolis, MN, went door to door to deliver the Weed and Seed newsletter to every home in the neighborhood. These visits allowed members to check in with residents and share information about the community.
- In Pine Bluff, AR, REVERSE 911 is used to conduct surveys on crime and other issues of importance. The Weed and Seed site also runs public service announcements to keep residents motivated and accustom the community to familiar faces.
- At the Fort Wayne Weed and Seed in Indiana, a scrapbook was developed that gives a pictorial overview of the local strategy's components, including law enforcement, community policing, neighborhood restoration, prevention, intervention, treatment, and Safe Haven strategies.
