Sunday Morning Club: What Happens When You Invite the Neighborhood
A few months ago, a new coffee shop opened within walking distance of my house. It sits next to a quiet,
underused art park, a space that always seemed like it was waiting for something. Every time my family
and I walked over for a morning coffee, I noticed people coming and going who looked interesting and
full of life. Artists. Young parents. Elders with stories. People with headphones and sketchbooks, and
dogs. People I didn’t know, but wanted to.
I kept thinking, What if we just showed up together, intentionally? What if the community didn’t have to
be orchestrated or exclusive? What if we could just… be together?
So I posted a simple invitation in a local Facebook group. No sign-up. No expectations. Just: show up,
bring a chair if you want, come as you are. We’ll be in the park next to the coffee shop Sunday morning.
Let’s meet.
That first week, with 8 hours’ notice, 20 people came. Strangers. Parents with strollers. People who had
just moved to the neighborhood. People who had lived here their whole lives. Oscar the pup. On week
seven, over 50 people showed up. All ages and stages. Some brought speakers. Some brought water
coolers and card games. No one was in charge, but everyone belonged.
We called it Sunday Morning Club.
I didn’t know at the time how deeply needed this would be; by me, by others, by the neighborhood itself.
But of course it makes sense. As a therapist working in perinatal wellness, I hear stories every day about
how isolation has become our default. During COVID, people were told to stay home, to stay safe, to stay
apart. And it worked, for a while. It protected us during a time of collective trauma. But the coping
strategy outlasted the emergency. The result is what Dr. Jessica Rush recently described:
“The internal message became that being alone protects me from these things that are scary
and out of my control. And that has now become a habit that is really hard to break.”
That habit doesn’t just affect individuals. It’s shifted the way communities function. It’s left new parents
without support, neighbors without connection, and many of us without any real sense of belonging.
That’s why Sunday Morning Club is more than just a meet-up. It’s a soft protest against isolation. It’s a
reminder that showing up, even awkwardly, even without knowing anyone, is powerful. It’s not flashy,
and there’s no app for it. But it’s real. It’s free. And it’s working.
If you’re reading this, I hope it encourages you to look around. Ask yourself, Where are the underused
spaces near me? Who have I seen walking by that I’d like to know? Don’t wait for someone to organize
it for you. Make a flyer. Post in a group. Bring a chair.
Because while the news cycle insists we’re more divided than ever, my Sunday mornings tell a different
story. A story where people show up. Where they bring popsicles and speakers and games without being
asked. Where they look each other in the eye. Where they remember how good it feels to belong. And that
is something worth creating.
