Stapleton is a tight-knit community, often with even tighter blocks. Most blocks get together regularly for drinks, dinners, alley parties, and of course, the annual block party. The kids on the block often become close friends, the wives get together for Bunco, and the men get together to play golf or poker. You may even say that most blocks are like a family. And like most families, blocks have occasional problems and issues they need to work through.
“Sometimes, they’ll be little spats about different things,” says Westerly Creek block captain Kaylynn Mason. “Usually, it starts with something small, but if it festers, people start gossiping and picking sides over things such as not returning a lawn mower right away, or whose kid is being mean to another kid. If you are outside the issue, you really can’t get involved, but it can really hurt the dynamic of your block.”
In an effort to keep blocks working together and avoiding awkward confrontations, the Stapleton MCA began its ‘Block Therapy’ program in mid-July. “We are working with local hospitals and family therapist residents who are looking to become ‘doctors,’” said MCA President Liza Kampstra. “They work with blocks as if they are families, and talk through issues they have.”
CU Family Therapist ‘Dr.’ McAllister says that providing a ‘safe zone’ for people to air their grievances allows for faster block healing. “We are trying to expedite healing by getting problems out in the open,” says McAllister. “At first, people may be reluctant, but eventually, things come out, and the quicker that happens, the more quickly the healing can begin.” McAllister says that many problems and issues can be talked through including:
- Neighbors who invite themselves over too often
- Kid(s) being mean to another kid on the block
- Not keeping a clean yard/garage
- Giving other people’s kids candy without parental permission
- New neighbors who just moved in struggle to be as great as old owners
- Couple going through divorce trying to force rest of block to take sides
- Neighbor uses other neighbor to fix everything at their house