Where we live matters. When Stephen and Mary began looking for a home, they sought a close-knit community where walks could turn into conversations and neighbors could become friends. After studying Omaha’s demographic maps, they intentionally chose Walnut Hill, one of Omaha’s most diverse neighborhoods.
“That’s where we want to be,” they said.
The first night was disorienting. Their house was empty except for a mattress on the floor. Bright lights streamed through curtainless windows. Next door, a carne asada filled the evening with music while ATVs buzzed through the streets.
The pair looked at each other and thought, what have we done?
They felt like outsiders, unsure how to find their place. Then someone from inCOMMON knocked on their door with an invitation to a community potluck.
Mary was stunned. Growing up in suburban Omaha, she was accustomed to a knock at the door coming with a sales pitch, not a chance to meet her neighbors.
Curious, they went. That simple invitation, they realized, provided a glimpse into the connections and community they’d hoped to find. So they kept showing up—to block parties, neighborhood projects, meetings, and more–drawn by both the relationships they were building and the way inCOMMON worked.
“They really just gave us the microphone and said, ‘What do you want to do? What do you guys want to collectively do as a group?’” Stephen recalls.
At first, Mary was taken aback. When neighbors identified issues they cared about, she expected inCOMMON to step in with solutions, not ask neighbors for ideas.
Then it clicked: inCOMMON was there to help neighbors lead the change they wanted to see in their neighborhood. Mary came to see inCOMMON as a “conduit” and “connector,” providing the relationships, resources, expertise, and behind-the-scenes support to help turn neighbors’ ideas into reality.
Stephen describes inCOMMON as a “neighborhood advocate” whose work creates a ripple effect. As neighbors have become more connected and involved, he and Mary have watched Walnut Hill become safer, more family-friendly, and increasingly attractive to new investment.
As their own connections grew, Stephen and Mary moved from participating to leading. They painted a fence at a neighborhood pocket park, joined cleanups, and advocated for community improvements. Stephen built leadership skills through inCOMMON’s Local Leaders training, and Mary – self-described as “painfully introverted” – spoke at City Council for the first time. Though her voice shook, she returned four more times that year.
“inCOMMON set us up for success,” she says.
Not every effort succeeded. But even advocating unsuccessfully for a speed bump taught them how to organize, navigate differing opinions, and speak up together. Stephen describes the experience as “very empowering.”
Today, they’re helping create the community they originally came to Walnut Hill hoping to find.
Alongside neighbors they met through inCOMMON, Stephen and Mary started a walking group to make neighborhood streets feel safer and more connected. Their first official walk drew about a dozen people. Neighbors they’d met at inCOMMON events honked and waved, and bicyclists even joined the mobile party.
Their advice to someone wondering how to get involved is simple:
“You don’t have to know what you’re doing at all. You can just show up.” — Mary
Four years after they first showed up, Stephen and Mary are now creating opportunities for others by helping build the relationships and local leadership that transforms neighborhoods from within.