Magazine Exchange Party for Fun and Community Building

First, select the group or organization that you want to get together with and want to community build.

This Magazine Exchange was set at a HOA, Home Owner’s Association, and group. The HOA share in the common areas but have only one (poorly) attended yearly meeting. The people in the HOA all like each other but we are so diverse and busy. Heck, some of us are only temporary winter Snow Bird Visitors. Snow Birds only spend the coldest part of the winter in sunny Arizona.

Still, we all need to know each other. Everyday at 4pm the whole HOA is invited to a Happy Hour at one of the member’s back patio. While this Happy Hour is well attended, it is not fully attended.

The idea of the Magazine Exchange was floated during one afternoon and generally received as ‘well why not?’ That worked for me.

In the age of social media, nearly all members of the HOA have Emails. So, first I sent out an invitation for the event via Emails.

Then, I sent out a written invitation to each HOA member at their local homes. Everyday my husband takes the dog for a walk. This is for his health and well, the dog loves it too. This walk, he placed an invitation in every member’s mailbox or front gate.

The invitation was kept simple.

A good neighbor is a blessing!

Well, the usual crowd of 10-12 swelled to over 20. We visited with people that were new to us. Many of the Snow Birds were only too happy to meet their neighbors too.

The magazines were excellent ice breakers too. The Happy Hour is more about being happy and less about what we drink, but people brought with them soft drinks, wine, and mixed drinks. People also brought snacks with their good attitudes too.

We then talked about going out to breakfast as a whole group. We were beginning a community building set of events.

At that time two more social events were brought up just for this spring.

There are many loosely connected social groups that have a need for an event that is fun and free. This is just one of the ideas towards building that community.

This would work for school groups, church groups, and block watch groups. This event may also be piggy-backed onto any club meeting as an ice breaker.

It was fun and interesting to learn the types of magazines brought to the party by our neighbors.

We had everything from the home magazines, education magazines, National Geographic magazines, to yachting magazines and teaching equality in the classroom magazines.

Not all the magazines were taken though! The magazines left will go to a nursing home. There are many residents who will find the subjects and magazines very interesting.

One of the concerns was that the mailing labels not be left on the magazines. Everyone was advised to remove their mailing labels themselves.

And a good time was had by all!

Oh, and one more added bonus. I have become the magazine lady. Every so often someone leaves me a stack of magazines on the patio table in our front courtyard! I am becoming well read and well received at the nursing home!