How local neighborhood associations are building community

By Evan Dawson,

Published January 10, 2025 at 2:38 PM EST

Four people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left in the foreground is has a brown ponytail and is wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and jeans; a man at left in the background is bald and is wearing a glasses and a grey sweater; a man at right in the background has short dark hair and a dark goatee and is wearing a red hooded sweatshirt; a man at right in the foreground has short dark hair and is wearing glasses, a grey button-down shirt, jeans and sneakers. — (foreground) Lydia Rivera, (background) Bill Collins and Jose Peo on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Friday, January 10, 2025

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

Do you feel close to people in your community?

According to data from Pew Research in 2023, Americans are less likely than people abroad to feel a connection to others in their country and communities. Local neighborhood associations are trying to change that.

The associations are comprised of volunteers dedicated to improving the quality of life for residents. From beautification projects to community events to providing information about zoning issues or code violations, the associations cover a lot of ground.

This hour, we sit down with the leaders of several neighborhood associations in the city of Rochester to discuss their work, how they foster engagement, and why they think community building is so important in 2025.

Our guests:

Bill Collins, president of the Maplewood Neighborhood Association
Lydia Rivera, vice president of the Edgerton Area Neighborhood Association and president of the Lyell Avenue Business Association
Jose Peo, president of the Charlotte Community Association