Cottage Living magazine recently recognized the Five Sisters area of Burlington as one of the best neighborhoods in the country. While many great ingredients go into making the Five Sisters a wonderful place to live, an online Neighborhood Forum is one essential part.

“I've seen the forum connect neighbors in terrific ways... providing support to the seriously ill, expectant mothers, and elderly. People share meals, lawn care, snow shoveling and more,” says Carolyn Bates of Caroline Street.

Burlington residents Michael and Valerie Wood-Lewis hope to replicate stories like these all over Chittenden County with the recent opening of Front Porch Forum. This online service is currently operating Neighborhood Forums in every part of the county. It’s free and doesn’t expose participants to spam.

“I can't imagine our neighborhood without the forum,” says longtime Front Porch Forum member Tim Douglas. “It makes my busy life easier.” Many families use the forum to stay connected to their neighborhood when jobs and childrearing seem to take 110% of their time.

In the 350-household Five Sisters neighborhood, about 300 neighbors participate. Things are bought, sold, borrowed and given away. Block parties and yards sales are organized. School events and charity fundraisers are announced. Crimes are reported and addressed. Local elected officials report in and are given feedback from neighbors. But most inspiring is the fact that people say they know their neighbors better.

Anyone interested in participating in his/her neighborhood should go to Front Porch Forum and check it out. Michael Wood-Lewis reports, “the areas where people recruit their neighbors to sign up are the most successful. One neighborhood saw 40 people join in two days!” Stop in for a visit on the Front Porch!