To all of our neighbors and friends.

We are so grateful to each and every one of you for being part of creating this community we all love.  When we began Be That Neighbor we decided that being a part of our community had nothing to do with geography and joke that we 'don't check passports'. As Rabbi Joachim Prinz said, 'A neighbor is not defined by geography, but by a moral responsibility to care for and support those around you, regardless of distance.' That is the work we do with each and every one of you.

Today and every day we are thankful for;
-our donors.  In 2024, over 100 individual helped support this work.
-our partners.  We are so grateful to the Guthrie for the donation of our practice space, to MacPhail for the donation of the gorgeous Antonello Hall for our benefit concert, to the Zahara Kathawalla Foundation for their continued support, to Blossom Johnson for her work as a dramaturg to Hope 612, to the Cedar Riverside community for being fully engaged with us and sharing the Brian Coyle space with us.
-our volunteers. Mahad Ahmed, Anthony Anderson, Sam Karpeh, Miske Salad, and Mahamed Salad, the Dream Team, and writers of the incredible play, Hope 612.
-our board.  We are an all volunteer board.  Everything we do is done with grace and passion. Thank you to Jennifer Weber, Jan Mershon, Susan Doherty, JD Steele, Chuck Geary, Mimi Methvin, and Mike Seaman. I have never worked with a better group of people. They bring wisdom and laughter and hugs to everything we do and together we never lose focus on the work before us.

I was recently asked how this all happened.  I replied that we often assume we know what’s best for others, but real change happens when we take the time to hear directly from the people we want to help. We hope this nudges people to start conversations, listen deeply, and take small, actionable steps toward creating opportunities for all. It’s about being brave enough to try, even if you’re unsure of the outcome. That’s how real connections are formed, and real change begins.

Thank you for helping us to be brave enough to try!!

Claudia, Jennifer, Jan, Susan, Chuck, JD, Mimi, and Mike