The Good Neighbors Club does good for Surrey beautification
Vendors show planned to raise funds
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SURREY - A community club in Surrey is bringing vendors and shoppers together June 3 to raise money for city beautification and other betterment efforts.
Heather Thorson, who founded The Good Neighbors Club last year, said a primary use of the funds will be to support the planting of community flower beds and filling flower pots that are displayed around Surrey. The club started the project last year and hopes to expand on that work.
The upcoming vendor/craft show is being held in conjunction with Surrey's citywide rummage sale. Vendor booths will be set up from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the school gymnasium, and public admission is free. There is a suggested donation for vendors to participate.
The club also will be serving a sloppy joe meal for a $5 donation. Big Dog Saloon and Karma are providing food and funds so proceeds from the meal can go in their entirety to the beautification project.
The Good Neighbors Club sponsors one to three activities a month that are designed to bring the community together and provide local activities for youth and families, Thorson said. The club has hosted concerts, movie nights, barbecues and children's activities in the park.
"Everything we do is essentially to bring your community together and give family and friends places to meet up and socialize and do good things," Thorson said. "It's all nonprofit."
Thorson said she was concerned that too much attention was being placed on negativity in her community and she wanted to shift that focus to the positive things that were happening and can happen.
"And then providing a good space for people to congregate is healthy and good for everybody. It's been really good for everybody," she said.
Anyone can participate in The Good Neighbors Club. There are no memberships but events are open to anyone to participate or volunteer.
Volunteers have helped by landscaping and redoing flower beds around the school. A current project is beautifying the front entrance to the city, with flower beds and a new sign.
"We just purchased land to build community gardens and put up a greenhouse, so that’s coming. We've got a lot of projects coming," Thorson said.
The club has had good support from donors, including the two local bars and the Aggie Foundation that have awarded gaming dollars, she said. However, the ability to conduct future projects will require additional fundraising, and that is where the vendor show comes in.
"We’re still seeking vendors," said Thorson, who added the club would like to fill up the available space in the gymnasium.
Other events planned this year include a slip-and-slide with the Surrey Fire Department. Thorson said the club also would like to take a greater multi-generational focus because there's many ways seniors and the younger generation can benefit from sharing with each other.
"I’ve just been really trying to create camaraderie, regardless of what age group it is," she said.
From a handful of people who launched the club to events that now can draw up to 100 people, Thorson said the club is making an impact. The impact is apparent when events are still talked about positively well after they've happened, she said.
More information about the club's activities and details on the vendor/craft show can be found on The Good Neighbor's Club Facebook page or request information at Thegoodneighborsclub@gmail.com.