Many question whether or not they should even let their neighbors know that they are preparing, for fear that they may become targets of not-so-neighborly visits after TSHTF.

I am of the opinion that the neighborhood MUST be considered, because cooperative eforts will enhance and protect the entire block/neighborhood.

However, in conversations so far, we see that most folks have only minimal preparations and not a lot of concern for long-term solutions, so it raises the question:

What are the most effective techniques/communications, etc. that you have used to raise the level of awareness and cooperation in your neighborhood? For those who are lucky enough to have created neighborhoods that are working together to meet the challenges of Y2K, what are you doing that you would recommend?

The bunker mentality can only take us so far. It's time to talk teamwork, for everything from security to food production to transportation contingency plans.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), October 16, 1999

Answers

Sara

You are so right. But I don't think it can happen. There is too much apathy out there. I have tried time and again to alert my neighbours with casual talk, booklets, pamphlets, an organized community meeting at which all City, Hydro, Gas, Emergency, Banking, Red Cross officials were present for questions and answers. (I work for a City Councillor so I am well placed to do this.) But people don't care and don't want to know. Plus with every offical saying everything is alright, no one takes it seriously.

I am beyond trying to imagine what will happen after Jan. 1st. I have purchased a water filter purification (Big Berkey) which should provide water for all my family and many many neighbours for a long time. I have quite a bit of food and can feel quite a few neighbours and family - probably 40 or 50 for a month or two. Fewer people - longer time food will last.

I have two huge fears. The first is a nuclear meltdown. I live within about 30 miles of a nuclear power generation plant. Aside from the fear of radiation, I desperately don't want to leave my home. The second fear is of rioting. I feel though, that if I am providing water for all the neighbourhood I will have plenty of help in protecting our street.

It is really odd. Life is beautiful for our family right now (touching wood) - new gorgeous little grandson - good job - we're all here is reasonable health (hubby is not robust, but ok) and the weather is glorious - rich autumn colours. I cannot grasp that these colours portend what may be coming - winter, with this huge threat to our world. It is too much to absorb and believe.

At work, the more experienced computer techies are preparing for power outages.

God bless us all!

-- citygirl (citygirl@idirect.com), October 16, 1999.

Agree that one's neighborhood "must" be considered for your above stated reasons; but regarding the "time to talk teamwork" I think for my family in our neighborhood it's going to be a form of "fix on failure". Today my uppie gated community (of 125 families) in San Antonio had it annual garage sale event. Folks sitting in easy chairs in their front yards like they had all the time in the world. I've taken my concerns for post-y2k neighborhood security to our homeowners association general meeting-- nothing but sunshine pumped at me for my efforts. I also agree that the "bumker mentality" will only take us "so far". I have not found ANY "magic bullet" communication "technique" that will penetrate people's teflon-coated opinions as to the permanence of things-as-we-know-them-today.

I know that I will take it upon myself to work on neighborhood organizing when things as we know them "today" (in January '00) NECESSITATE neighborhood cooperation. I "know" that I should have my head (re)examined for even staying in a city; but its a choice we have made. I believe that times are going to be TOUGH for all urban OR rural y2k preppers. I also believe that being prepared does not guarantee survival but only increases the odds. I believe that the essential question you have posed, "what are the most effective techniques/communications to raise the level of awareness/cooperation in one's neighborhood?" is going to ALSO be an ONGOING essential question in the post-y2k EOTWAWKI scenario. I don't have THE answer other than: the answer will have to constantly and continuously be re- inventoried, re-monitored, re-tested, AND re-remediated. . .

A quote (I believe from Thos. Jefferson) that keeps going through my mind as I prepare psychologically for life in the post-y2k scenario I'M preparing for is, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty". I'm afraid that when we are surrounded on all sides by the year 2000 that we will all learn, first-hand, the "real" "strike-price" of "eternal vigilance". Until then, don't neglect spiritual "preps", as well. . .

-- Dewer Dye (qwerty@!!!!.xnyet), October 16, 1999.

I have mentioned Y2K to a few neighbors and either been ignored or quickly brushed off with optimistic opinions based on data from the mainstream press. I'm certainly not going to tell them about our preps. We can survive maybe three months. If the neighbors show up for handouts we'll die much sooner. I considered sending an anonymous letter to people in this area, but knew it would do no good. People who don't want to Get It simply won't. You put yourself in jeopardy when you let others know about your preps. Most of us have heard, "Oh, if anything happens, I'll come to your house." (I always reply, "That's why we bought the guns.")

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), October 17, 1999.

Is there no one who has had a positive experience?!

We have a neighbor who is a half-GI: he is preparing and stockpiling, food-farming, etc., yet has most of his $ tied up in soon-to-be-useless bonds.

At least, I hope to get everyone thinking about what our strengths and weakenesses are for any millennial disaster. There are so many threats, er... "challenges", to consider that even somenone allergic to Y2K talk might want to have a game plan for ONE of the potential threats...I hope.

Ironically, there is a neighborhood crime watch meeting this week. Perhaps that will give me some more insight into our new neighbors' concerns.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), October 17, 1999.

I was my area's Neighborhood Watch contact for three years. You know how it works--a burglary occurs, you call people in your area, they call their people, and pass the word that a crime has occurred and to pay extra attention in case it's the start of a cluster. I got feedback that a lot of people didn't want to know, that the information scared them--that *I* was scaring them! All I did was pass on information in a "knowledge is power" manner; I didn't give a lecture or try to scare them into being part of the network.

In one incident, a neighbor saw a burglar climbing into someone's window. Did she call 911? No! Even after all the pamphlets and meetings, she called the homeowner at work, who then had to call 911! And I heard about this a week after it happened!

Time after time, problems occurred and nobody bothered to pass on the information. People loved the meetings at the local school because it gave them an opportunity to get out and see their neighbors, but complained the meetings were held at night and it wasn't safe for them to go out at night. . .! I finally gave it up as a lost cause.

I've mentioned Y2K to a few neighbors and the response has been, "Oh, they're going to fix it," "It's all hype!" and "God will provide."

I'm keeping my mouth shut and the blinds in my "storeroom" drawn!

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 17, 1999.

Still hot-link-challenged, but here's the URL for Roleigh Martin's Letter to Neighbors that can be used by anyone who is interested in giving it a try:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/roleigh_martin/anon_1.rtf

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), October 17, 1999.

Michael Hyatt recently devoted an article covering much of this.

Basically, ITS TO LATE. Trying to get your neighborhood involved now is bound to fail and perhaps cause you trouble. As someone indicated, its best to keep quiet, make friends apart from the Y2K subject, and plan to fix-on-failure as far as neighborhood cooperation goes.

October is more than half over, it will be Thanksgiving before you can hardly blink an eye and you know what Christmas season is like.

Pursuing neighborhood cooperation (if not already well developed) is over.

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), October 17, 1999.

You asked if anyone had experienced success. From the many, many threads on this subject in the past six months of my internet search on various Y2K forums, NO ONE has reported one iota of success in getting their neighbors to Get It and form any cooperative endeavor!!! To that I add my voice. Therefore, on the advice of many on these fora, and with my own gut instinct, I ceased saying anything to the neighbors, other than an elderly GI I am helping. In fact, I would not even bring in preps in daylight anymore, and wouldn't if I were you either.

We may need others, but it has to be others who GId earlier and who are not going to be a threat to us. Jon is right: it is too late to get the unwilling DWGIs to rally together. And note the experience of the person who tried Neighborhood Watch! Wish it were different...

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), October 18, 1999.

Coincidentally, there is a Neighborhood Watch Program meeting tonight. We plan to have printed information with us and present low- key information to "feel out" the group. Most have gardens and some have livestock already, so there are some built-in assets, whichever way this goes.

It is being run by the local Community Police Officer. We know we have some GI's in the neighborhood, and we're not sure just how many will show up tonight... we plan to continue to raise awareness as long as we can. Even if one or two additional families are moved to prepare, it will help the cause.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), October 18, 1999.

Well, we had a pleasant surprise! The Neighborhood Watch meeting ended up being a Y2K awareness meeting. People were open, interested and some were already preparing. Because we did not all know one another, we made plans to expand Neighborhood Watch to more of a Neighborhood Cooperative.

People, including the Community Police Officer were not antagonistic. Nary a Denial-head comment like: "well, my brother-in-law works for Honeywell, and HE says Y2K is no big deal..."

Perhaps, we should not be so paranoid, at least not in our immediate block or two that surrounds us. Better to make the connections now.

Here, in Hawaii, we are experiencing a Dock Strike. It hasn't affected my shopping yet, but folks in Kona said that Costco was out of certain items "Due to the Dock Strike". This raised awareness, and probably made it easier for us to find receptive ears this evening.

I still say we can't do it alone, and I think waiting until after the fact is waiting (unnecessarily) too late.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), October 19, 1999.