As San Francisco celebrates Social Connection Week (October 6–10, 2025), we’re proud to share how the Community Living Campaign and our Community Connectors have been helping neighbors come together, one gathering, one shared story, and one smile at a time.
Since receiving the Neighbor-to-Neighbor grant, CLC has been building on the foundation of our Community Connector Networks to bring San Franciscans together month after month. With this fall’s citywide Meet 6 Neighbors campaign, we’re excited to share what we’ve learned and expand those connections even further. With support from California Volunteers and the City’s Department of Disability and Aging Services, our Connectors have turned local creativity into connection, beautifying parks, hosting resource fairs, sharing meals, and encouraging people to meet the neighbors who make our city stronger.
This effort builds on more than a decade of grassroots leadership in San Francisco neighborhoods and reflects a simple truth: when neighbors connect, communities thrive.
Take the Pledge to Meet 6 Neighbors!
Join the movement to strengthen community across San Francisco. Research shows that knowing at least six neighbors improves health and well-being, helps people feel less alone and more supported, and makes communities stronger and better prepared for disasters.
You can also visit CLC’s event calendar online or download the print version (PDF) to stay up to date on gatherings happening across the city.
A Citywide Effort to Strengthen Connection
In spring 2024, CLC and the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services received a Neighbor-to-Neighbor grant from California Volunteers to support Meet 6 Neighbors activities across the city. The campaign encourages Californians to get to know at least six of their neighbors because those connections improve well-being, safety, and community resilience.
For CLC, this statewide effort is a continuation of our Community Connector Networks, which bring older neighbors together for exercise, connection, and mutual support. Our Connectors are leaders, organizers, and everyday problem-solvers who strengthen the social fabric of their neighborhoods.
From Small Projects to Citywide Impact
Since the start of the Neighbor-to-Neighbor grant, CLC has hosted multiple events every month, each designed to bring people together and make San Francisco a more caring, connected city. Highlights include:
- Turning recycled beads and other materials into suncatchers that now brighten Kenny Alley
- Painting the Cayuga Playground woodcarvings to preserve these beloved landmarks
- Hosting community potlucks that bridge generations and cultures
- Leading neighborhood PhotoWalks to build community and teach tech skills
- Organizing an annual Never Better Elders resource fair to showcase talents, and offer connection and information
- Celebrating local volunteers with our annual Good Neighbor Celebrations that encourage neighbor-to-neighbor connection
This week, CLC joined partners from the Northern California Coalition for Social Connection at UCSF to celebrate Social Connection Week, including a resource fair at the library on Tuesday and a webinar on Wednesday. On Friday, we’ll wrap up the week with a Social Connection and Mid-Autumn Festival gathering at Crocker Amazon Connectors, featuring a potluck, dancing, and other activities that bring neighbors together across languages and generations. And don’t miss the Meet 6 Neighbors messages this fall on MUNI buses, bus shelters, and more, encouraging San Franciscans to connect with one another!
Stories from This Week’s Social Connection Week Gatherings
Throughout the week, CLC’s Community Connector Networks have been hosting Get to Know Your Neighbor gatherings, showing how simple chances to talk with neighbors can spark real connection. Participants broke into small groups of three, intentionally sitting with people they didn’t know well. They picked conversation questions from a bag, shared personal stories, and often surprised each other with what they revealed.
At Cayuga Connectors, where many already know one another by sight, these conversations helped move acquaintance-level relationships to something deeper. There was lively chatter, laughter, and several “I didn’t know that about you!” moments as groups shared their reflections.
CLC’s Dana Cayce, who came to offer tech tutoring, shared, “When I walked into the Cayuga site, there was an energy in the room that I hadn’t experienced before. Folks were gathered in circles talking and learning about each other, in response to prompts like: What is an upside of aging? Share one thing about yourself that would surprise us. What are you proud of? Thought provoking and connection building. Bravo!”
At Crocker-Amazon Connectors, which has a predominantly Chinese-speaking community, everyone responded to the same question: When was the happiest time of your life? Most answered, “Now.” Many talked about the joy they find in daily exercise and community connection. For many who lived through hardship, retirement is their happiest time. Watching participants nod and smile together at this shared sentiment was a powerful reminder of what connection can do.
Regardless of language or culture, the warmth and trust were universal.
Patti Davidson, CLC’s Director of Community Engagement and lead for Neighbor-to-Neighbor programming, noted, “People let their guard down, made connections, and had fun.” These small, meaningful interactions capture the spirit of Social Connection Week and reflect why CLC’s work matters: building social connection reduces loneliness, improves social health, and fosters resilient neighborhoods.
Join the Movement
You can take part in the Meet 6 Neighbors Challenge by reaching out to the people who live near you. Say hello, share a meal, offer a hand, or write a friendly note. Every small act of connection makes a difference.
Learn more and sign up for the statewide challenge at Meet6Neighbors.com, and visit CLC’s event calendar online or download the PDF Calendar version to join in on gatherings happening across the city. Together, we can make San Francisco a city where everyone feels seen, supported, and connected.