Nextdoor Launches Help Map and Groups to Bring Neighbors Together

Nextdoor was created to bring neighbors together — this is important in good times and essential in times of need. Today, we’re launching two features to help you do that now, when it matters most. We’re releasing Nextdoor Groups globally to aid the continued organization of local help groups as well as launching Help Map, an interactive map of your neighborhood where you can mark yourself as someone who can pitch in for neighbors who need it.

In the last couple weeks, we’ve all had that moment where the day’s news hit us at home. For me, it was the email announcing that school would be closed. Indefinitely. Unsure of what to do but knowing I wasn’t alone, I invited the other parents in my classroom into a group on Nextdoor. Instantly, we were a group of moms together, navigating to create a new normal for our kids.

As coronavirus went from an outbreak to a global pandemic, I saw my story mirrored across the country, replicated around the world. We were still only beta testing Groups in neighborhoods, but there was a sudden flood of them forming organically; the number of groups created on Nextdoor in response to Covid-19 has doubled each day over the past week.

We heard you. We’re right there with you. A crucial connector of neighbors as we face the unknown, Nextdoor Groups will continue helping you stay engaged even while social distancing. Members will see prompts on Nextdoor, encouraging them to turn active conversation threads into groups. This tool makes it easier than ever to bring your local community together, safely, with a click of a button.

Every day when I look at my own Nextdoor app, I see more groups forming in my neighborhood: Parent Groups, Book Club Groups, Faith Groups. It gives me hope that even in this time when we are physically apart, we can still connect with our neighbors.

One of the most popular group types right now are those organizing volunteers:

“I posted on Nextdoor to reach neighbors in the area to let them know that I would be willing to assist elderly and at risk neighbors who can’t leave their home due to the coronavirus,” Nextdoor member Nicole shared. “The post got a lot of attention—and so many comments from other neighbors who wanted to help so I decided to form the Nextdoor Group ‘NE Portland Neighbors Helping Neighbors.’ Now, we have nearly 200 individuals that have joined the group, and it’s growing by the minute.”

With neighbors around the world raising their hands to offer similar support, the Help Map creates a screenshot of your neighborhood and its resources. Members can add themselves to the map detailing the errands or support they can help elderly and at risk neighbors with. Those who need help can visit the map to see who in their immediate and nearby neighborhoods is offering help and send a private message.

It feels important to underline that the new features we’re launching today are inspired by the outpouring of kindness we’ve seen on the platform, across the world, in the light of a global pandemic. As we isolate ourselves at home to protect our health and our neighbors, we still need each other. Nextdoor will be here to help you stay connected to your neighbors, to help, to support, and to make positive change.

Note: for up-to-date information on the coronavirus (COVID-19), refer to official sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To connect with your local neighborhood, please login at www.nextdoor.com

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