Knock, Knock
Knock, Knock.
by Evelyn Alemanni, AIB First Vice President
Knock, knock. Who's at my door?
In 2003, the first year I judged for America in Bloom, I had the privilege of visiting Oberlin, OH. There, former mayor Fran Bowman told me how her "In Bloom" committee had designed door hangers to recognize properties that were above and beyond the norm. Where sidewalks were clean, lawns mowed, paint fresh, and flowers bloomed. The door hangers were made available for distribution to people who visited all the neighborhoods - mail carriers, pizza delivery people, UPS drivers, etc. There were no particular rules - just the instruction to leave them where appropriate.
Imagine your surprise when you get a thank you note from the community with your mail, your pizza, or your package! What a great way to make people feel valued, appreciated, and noticed. This was one of the very first "Best Ideas" that I discovered and included in the first edition of AIB's "Best Ideas" book.
I adopted the door hangers for my own community's AIB entries with great success, and then advanced the concept by designing one for AIB's judges to use. (See another post for more info on this.)
Today, many AIB communities have jumped on the door hanger bandwagon, taking the concept further. Here's a recent example from our friends in Morro Bay, CA. (By the way, you'll have a chance to visit this lovely community during the AIB symposium and awards in October.)
Here's what they say: "Bloomies believe that sincere compliments build community. Picture this: You are out on a walk, you admire the attractive landscaping outside a local business or residence or the fresh coat of paint that's been applied to a building or fence. You smile. You feel warm inside and happy to be living in Morro Bay. You feel thankful and you want to express your thanks. What to do? Well, starting today, you can reach into your back pocket and pull out one of these."
Morro Bay in Bloom makes the door hangers available at the Chamber of Commerce/Visitor Center.
So - let people know they're valued and appreciated. Show your appreciation to the people who make a difference in your community.
by Evelyn Alemanni, AIB First Vice President
Knock, knock. Who's at my door?
In 2003, the first year I judged for America in Bloom, I had the privilege of visiting Oberlin, OH. There, former mayor Fran Bowman told me how her "In Bloom" committee had designed door hangers to recognize properties that were above and beyond the norm. Where sidewalks were clean, lawns mowed, paint fresh, and flowers bloomed. The door hangers were made available for distribution to people who visited all the neighborhoods - mail carriers, pizza delivery people, UPS drivers, etc. There were no particular rules - just the instruction to leave them where appropriate.
Imagine your surprise when you get a thank you note from the community with your mail, your pizza, or your package! What a great way to make people feel valued, appreciated, and noticed. This was one of the very first "Best Ideas" that I discovered and included in the first edition of AIB's "Best Ideas" book.
I adopted the door hangers for my own community's AIB entries with great success, and then advanced the concept by designing one for AIB's judges to use. (See another post for more info on this.)
Today, many AIB communities have jumped on the door hanger bandwagon, taking the concept further. Here's a recent example from our friends in Morro Bay, CA. (By the way, you'll have a chance to visit this lovely community during the AIB symposium and awards in October.)
Here's what they say: "Bloomies believe that sincere compliments build community. Picture this: You are out on a walk, you admire the attractive landscaping outside a local business or residence or the fresh coat of paint that's been applied to a building or fence. You smile. You feel warm inside and happy to be living in Morro Bay. You feel thankful and you want to express your thanks. What to do? Well, starting today, you can reach into your back pocket and pull out one of these."
Morro Bay in Bloom makes the door hangers available at the Chamber of Commerce/Visitor Center.
So - let people know they're valued and appreciated. Show your appreciation to the people who make a difference in your community.
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