Industry
Spotlight
Apartment
Owners, Managers & Landlords
A Crafty Idea!
Use Your Community Newsletter to
Get Your Residents Together
Ahhh! Fall is here! We can look forward to cooler
days, falling leaves, and the fun of Halloween! This is the perfect
time of year to start a new tradition. The days are getting shorter,
and the weather causes us to spend more time indoors. Many people
are looking for a better way to spend their time than simply
watching TV.
To meet the needs of your residents and to promote
a greater sense of community, consider starting a Residents Craft
Night. Use your newsletter to advertise the start of your weekly or
monthly event. Try starting with one evening a month. If it proves
to be popular, you may find your residents requesting a weekly get
together. Your best turnout will probably be on a weekday evening,
say from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. However, you might also poll your
residents to see if they would be interested in a weekend afternoon
meeting time.
Provide the meeting space and some refreshments.
You can recruit some of your residents to volunteer teaching the
craft or directing the activity. Many creative people love to share
their knowledge and enthusiasm with others. Anything from wreath
making to knitting to T-shirt painting would work. It is important
to remember that it should be simple enough for anyone to do. It is
also a nice touch to make the craft appropriate to the season. For
example, plan on making an Autumn wreath for Thanksgiving, or
ornaments for December.
An easy way to get this started is to take
advantage of the current craze of “scrapbooking.” Often you can
find a local scrapbook supply store owner willing to come to your
community to direct this activity in return for the free advertising
she will receive. Encourage your residents to bring their photos and
a set amount of money to purchase some supplies. They will be
excited to take home a completed project.
Once you’ve gotten your residents interested, it
will be easy to find others to share their crafting know-how with
others. Your residents will appreciate the new friendships they make
and will enjoy the opportunity to make inexpensive holiday gifts for
their friends and family. Make sure you include reminders in your
community newsletter every month, with the date, time, and
description of the activity.
