The Neighbor to Neighbor campaign aims to spread kindness through the community.

Making someone’s day can be as easy as dropping a note in a neighbor’s mailbox or even just smiling and waving at someone on a walk, and Douglas County is encouraging residents to do that and more in its newest wellness campaign.

The well-being branch of Douglas County’s pandemic response team launched a “Neighbor to Neighbor” campaign last week. The campaign encourages people to reach out to their neighbors in an informal way to connect and check on one another. Though the campaign is for everyone, there is a specific focus to reach out to older members of the community, as well as those with limited mobility or those who live alone.

The initiative is “aimed at letting community members know how they can take simple actions to reduce isolation and loneliness in our seniors,” said Amy Albright, director of marketing and communication design at the Lawrence Arts Center.

The wellness branch meets weekly, Albright said, and has identified target groups that might need attention during the pandemic. They recently received a presentation from Megan Poindexter, executive director of the Senior Resource Center.

The campaign suggests doing acts such as shoveling a neighbor’s sidewalk or driveway, sharing store-bought or home-cooked treats with a neighbor, delivering a #DGKS♥ yard sign or giving a kid’s drawing to a neighbor. In an email to the Journal-World, Poindexter said she helped a neighbor complete the COVID-19 vaccine interest form.

“She and her husband were glad, because they don’t have a computer. And the next day, she brought me some home-made muffins!” Poindexter wrote. “Just an example of a small gesture that can connect people in a very authentic way!”

The well-being branch of Douglas County’s pandemic response team formed in December. In January, the Journal-World reported on the branch’s #DGKS♥ campaign, which is meant to spread positivity and wellness resources.