NeighborLink Network was formed in 2008 to help cities around the United States leverage technology to connect vulnerable neighbors falling through the cracks of social service agencies and neighbors looking to self-mobilize themselves to help by using our web-based connection platform. Through NeighborLink, churches, businesses, civic groups, and concerned neighbors are empowered to help senior citizens, those with disabilities, single parents, and anyone facing life’s circumstances that have needs beyond their physical or financial ability on their own.

We’ve helped 15 U.S. cities launch NeighborLink in their communities to mobilize their neighbors with the purpose of providing practical, neighbor-to-neighbor expressions of God’s love through the NeighborLink Network. Our desire to see local churches, civic entities, and the corporate community love their neighbors in tangible ways through acts of service and volunteerism. We believe that Small Things Change Neighborhoods.

NeighborLink was launch in 2003 in Fort Wayne, IN after a small church community began engaging in intentional acts of service. As they put their faith into action, they built relationships and began responding to larger tangible needs for vulnerable homeowners. After a few years of activity, the relationships they formed with social services uncovered that there were hundreds of home repair and maintenance needs for people trying to age in place or navigate life’s circumstances with no one to respond. As their ministry grew, more small groups and churches began to want to join them on projects or take projects of their own. Web-based technology was beginning to emerge in the early 2000s and the founders of NeighborLink moved on their vision to develop an online bulletin board where these projects to be posted by those agencies and all the groups could search the projects, contact the homeowner directly, and work out all the details without the burden that came with most volunteer organizations.

Since 2003, NeighborLink Fort Wayne has seen over 10,000 home repair projects self-selected, organized, and completed by volunteers. We work with over 150 different communities of volunteers that are looking for meaningful opportunities to connect with their neighbors. NeighborLink is a place for the family that wants to rake leaves on a Sunday afternoon to find a project within a few blocks from home, the small business to find projects to fulfill their day of service goals, and for the committed church to begin building relationships with neighbors in an effort to facilitated strategic neighborhood development.