# Converting the neighbors...



## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

There are 8 houses on my road. Three are vacant/absentee owners. So, of the other four, I decided when I moved here that I would rather tell them about prepping now than have to fight them later. So, here is what I did... I started sharing eggs. I would drop off eggs and have a small conversation. After a couple of months, we "knew" each other and the conversations would turn more personal. When the election happened, it was a great segway into prepping. I mentioned my concerns and would say, "yeah, having a garden makes me feel more secure" or "when I lived in Virginia, we always keep extra on hand in case of a snow or ice storm". One neighbor is not receptive at all so I backed off. Of the other three, two are now prepping. The one closest to me has asked my help to start a garden. 

I'm not posting this to brag. I'm just putting it out there as an example of what worked for me. I stay clear of politics or religion. I just emphasize the security aspect of it.


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

kejmack said:


> There are 8 houses on my road. Three are vacant/absentee owners. So, of the other four, I decided when I moved here that I would rather tell them about prepping now than have to fight them later. So, here is what I did... I started sharing eggs. I would drop off eggs and have a small conversation. After a couple of months, we "knew" each other and the conversations would turn more personal. When the election happened, it was a great segway into prepping. I mentioned my concerns and would say, "yeah, having a garden makes me feel more secure" or "when I lived in Virginia, we always keep extra on hand in case of a snow or ice storm". One neighbor is not receptive at all so I backed off. Of the other three, two are now prepping. The one closest to me has asked my help to start a garden.
> 
> I'm not posting this to brag. I'm just putting it out there as an example of what worked for me. I stay clear of politics or religion. I just emphasize the security aspect of it.


Nicely done! 2 is better than 1 and 3 is even better than 2!


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## Trip286 (Oct 18, 2012)

Sounds like a great way to go about it. It's completely possible to leave politics and religion out of the whole equation as you're doing.

Simply using the idea of stored food keeping someone alive after a hurricane, tornado, or some other natural disaster speaks to a person's intelligence way more so than liberal or conservative bashing of the opposite political party.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Wonderful!!

I bought my one neighbor a dehydrated bucket of food. She thanked me, we had talked about it and I'm sure she would end up with us until one of her brothers comes to get her. She's single and almost 60. In good shape....so...

Other neighbor will be gone, single in her 40s and lives by the skin of her teeth. Only concern would be if some of her men friends decide to come up here to be with her, she's has a history of choosing the wrong men.

Other neighbor, he and his buddies, single, hunters, so they'll definitely be here to help, I need to talk to him though.

Your post reminds me that we all should be talking just a little and feeling out people, might save a life.


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## Trip286 (Oct 18, 2012)

I live in a trailer park, albeit a very small one (10 trailers).

Two residents have jobs. Me, and the guy that works at the local tobacco store where I pay my electric bill. He's young, 18-20ish but has a good head on his shoulders. The thing I like about him most is that he's pretty resourceful. He recently bought an older model Z71 for $200, because it was completely trashed (barely even street legal) but he's familiar with the drivetrain. His other ride (an old pontiac grand am) had a tree fall on it. Took him about 2 days to get the Z71 running.

His girlfriend (also pretty young) wanders the backroads on foot with a radio flyer, picking up cans and other metal debris.

Everyone else sits around on their azzes. I see them all standing by the mailboxes on check day.

I can't wait to get out of there. And since the youngun owns his camper, I think I'll pitch the idea to him of buying a couple of acres close by me when I move. The simple fact that him and I are the only ones in the park that don't collect a government check, even though we both qualify (because of income), means a lot to me. You don't want someone living right next door that is a professional dependent.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

I have been far lazier than I should be in this regards. KNowing I"m planning to move on a year or so has kinda made me not rush to form relationships with the folks here. And yeah I know I may not have a year before somthing happens. It is compounded though by me coming to live with HER and Then her EX putting up a trailier like 150 yards away. I won't even go into all that just say her lawyer scrwed her over on that one. Anyway folks out here know him (well they think they do he's about as two (or three or four) faced as they come. So everyone is a little standoffish. But we are all country people and country folks pull together if things get bad with the exception maybe of hte rental property about 300 yards the other way I"m pretty sure we got a bunch of dopers in there. so they will take special attention should things get too bad. At least heavy monitoring as they run out and can't get more. (it's not the home grown type of drugs  ) I catch em in my poppies we are gonna have problems . I do still have good working relationshops with the folks by Mom and Dads Farm where I used to live and that is my only real possible bug out plans and at that only if it is getting reall dangerously ugly. Just to group up with family whom I know I can depend on to watch my back and to shoot straight when needed. 

I can't wait to get a place found and moved in. On the other side I"m not happy about getting a loan and having payments. knowing the place we will be living in is gonna be far from ours when things bottom out (I don't think we have 30 years) Brightest side is my Disability when /if I ever get it will be making the payments so as long as Uncle sam is paying even junk money the mortgage will be paid and when he stops I dare em to try to evict me because at that point the S has really H'ed the F. Wish they would hurry up and get the second round of the disability stuf sorted I"d like to start getting things figured out as far as what I can do and what I can't how much I can look for etc. 

Funny thing new to me one of the questions asked at the VA Dr. yesterday was are you or do you expect to be homeless in the next two months? Wonder what they would have said if I said yes. I mean tecnically I AM homeless. I live with her in a house that she doesn't own and only has rights to for a little over a year more. guess I'll find out later if they don'e get my dis set up soonish. 

Boy do I ever blather on Anywho Very good that someone is being pro active on the neighbor thing. Guess I need to quit being so antisocial. Maybe when I get my scooter I can run up and down teh road visiting


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## ksmama10 (Sep 17, 2012)

Before we can worry about converting the neighbors, it makes sense to get to know them. We have 15 house on our road; street ends in a roundabout, with a massive field to the south of the neighborhood. There's another street west of us, but I dont' know any of those people, and only about 8 families on our street. To the east of us is an empty house with a huge field behind that, with a long hedgerow between us. We're all on five acre lots, so we're not piled so close to eachother, and there's room in each yard to grow lots of plants and critters. The covenants are fairly reasonable too, I think. Chickens are fine, and there's a five head limit on livestock. If we had a few like minded folks, we could really have something here.


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## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

I guess I have become very jaded over the years when it comes to converting other people. It is hard enough when it comes to ones own family it seems. I see the post above about the trailer park and it hits home for me since I have seen both this side and the affluent side as well. It seems the more affluent people become the less likely they want to even think their world can come crashing down. That BMW and the house that is twice what they can afford and the country club membership and the women's league are all so important to what they are that most "new Rich" have difficult times prepping. 

I have one good friend who went through a tough time a few years back and when they came out of it they had lost the cars, the house, the club memberships, their social status and most of their so called friends. there is a real difference between and acquaintance and a friend, Friends stick by you when the times get tough. 

Likewise survivors don't let adversity get them down. They dig in and pull themselves back up. The folks in the trailer park who wait for the check have given in to the system. They want to be taken care of for the rest of their miserable lives. I tried and tried to help folks in that situation and most want to take you for a ride. 

Denial works on both ends of the spectrum. those guys in the trailer park have given in completely and your new rich would rather live in a dream world where everything stays the same. It is difficult to convert either one of them. GB


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

ksmama10 said:


> Before we can worry about converting the neighbors, it makes sense to get to know them.


That's why I used the eggs...so I could get to know them. I know a lot of people would be screaming at me about OPSEC, but getting the neighbors to prep now keeps me from having to fight them later.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I am impressed kejmack, seriously. I believe that you certainly did the right thing for them and for yourself.
I am also impressed that everyone on here didn't come out with the fear mongering "they know where you live" I typically see in these circles.
I am very private and value privacy more than most for sure, OPSEC is very important but so is community.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Forgot to mention, I gave away a lot of honey when I first got bees. People were delighted and funny thing is they all wanted to buy more. Everyone says if you give something away people will think it is not worth much but if your product is good and they like you the opposite is true.


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## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Cowboy you are so right without community and family we are nothing. I doubt very few will thrive alone. Notice for those that prefer solitude, I didn't say survive.

I have no doubt that many will survive, and while I will be very selective about those I aid and try to form a community with, I would rather that than be alone. And as others have posted you can't sleep, guard your stuff, work/farm and protect yourself all at the same time.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

You know what, I'm going to do the same thing. Thanks for the idea!

I've wondered about our neighbors. The two houses on one side of our property, well, those folks will get themselves shot in any difficult situation. Even without drugs, they're seriously messed up - add the drugs in, and they're truly stunning. But that leaves eight other families on our road. I think most are preparedness minded in some way, as they're old rural families that grow gardens and can and hunt. But only one other family besides us currently has chickens. I think I'll use the extra eggs we'll be getting (hopefully soon) as a way to broach the subject, much the way you have.

OPSEC is important, without a doubt. But there needs to be a balance. It's a risk, but there have to be ways to build community without endangering ourselves.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

That is the thing, if you were perfectly safe from any malevolent neighbors as long as you didn't talk to them then maybe it would make sense. In reality, just knowing and talking to them gives you a greater degree of safety and knowledge. But establishing a relationship if possible is even better, people will often stand up to defend their source of (milk,eggs,meat,whatever) they are doing it now in many places.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

goshengirl said:


> OPSEC is important, without a doubt. But there needs to be a balance. It's a risk, but there have to be ways to build community without endangering ourselves.


I still have OPSEC. I haven't told any of them that I have a year's worth of food and supplies. But I figure if each of them only has a month's worth of food, we are all better off.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Those who go to church can ask the preacher to speak on the subject.Ask him not to mention your name if he does.Or a club or other group.Soem have Neighborhood Watch Meetings.That is also a good thing to get invovled in.

I know its not good to tell everyone,but I also think if you can spread the word it may be easier on you later.


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## dirtgrrl (Jun 5, 2011)

Giving away eggs or vegetables won't compromise OPSEC. Everyone with eyeballs knows if you have either one. They won't know what else you have unless you tell them.

My BOL is in an area of 5 - 10 acre lots very near Nat'l Forest, occupied about 50/50. I'm thinking about doing something similar in the guise of "fire response". I think my neighbors on one side are already preppers. We're friendly but still feeling each other out. The neighbor on the other side is quite unfriendly. The friendly folks have already pointed out who the tweakers are in our neck of the woods (err, grassland). Good stuff to know. 

Great post, OP.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

kejmack said:


> I still have OPSEC. I haven't told any of them that I have a year's worth of food and supplies. But I figure if each of them only has a month's worth of food, we are all better off.


kejmack, you're one of the people on this forum that I would never doubt has OPSEC covered. That's what makes your plan valuable.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Inlaws saw today why we prep; where we live, the ground has been saturated the past few weeks due to rains and part of the mountain slipped off. We had enough shoves to supply everyone, along with our BOB ready in case the road gets so bad that we have to leave (our house is one a bank above the road, I'm not worried about it flooding), but if road is bad, we have to BO so we can get to work. Inlaws were/are completely unprepared for anything and spent 2 hours packing bags.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

there's 90 or so houses on my street, 2 weeks ago the sheriffs dept had to take measures to separate gangs (50 thugs) that were getting ready to square off at the bottom of the hill. 

Most of the residents are just people doing their thing, the rest are insane or thugs. 

My landlord owns nearly 20 of the houses, I think she intends to set herself up as some kind of potentate or village elder if SHTF.

Watching this city detox would be like ringside seats at the zombie apocalypse, why did Willie Sutton rob banks? because that's where the money is! :rofl:


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## MrsFate (Jan 31, 2013)

I totally agree with OP...better to know your neighbors & start them in becoming interested in prepping, even small steps. Rather than facing them hoping to be taken in & mooching or worse when the SHTF..definitely something for our family to put into practice, plus always better to know your neighbors!


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## bluestocking (Jan 10, 2013)

Thank you for sharing your strategies for establishing positive relationships with neighbors before anything negative goes down. I know I often wonder about being able to foster positive relationships - forging alliances, so to speak. And encouraging the, to prep ahead of time gives a better chance that they won't just try to rely on you, but will try to rely on themselves. I love reading how others do this.


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