There are slogans and songs singing the praises of having a good neighbor, but they’re no match for the feeling of actually having a good neighbor. Or being one. For residents of Estrella in Goodyear, that feeling is just a phone call away through the master planned community’s official Good Neighbor Program. Created during the pandemic when the HOA team would get calls for assistance or to see how people could help ease the burden of neighbors, the program continues to grow and sustain the more than 7,600 households of Estrella.
“During the pandemic we were focused on traditional HOA community priorities and support, but our Estrella residents were taking the “community service” portion of it seriously!” said Estrella Community Manager Lane Powell
“We would get a variety of requests, like one woman whose husband had passed and called to change her account. She shared how lonely she was, especially during COVID. She really missed companionship, so we reached out to a couple of really caring people we knew in the community, and they volunteered taking turns calling her. This companionship for her became priceless. Additionally, many others signed up as part of an Estrella pen pal program.”
Another example was a wheelchair-bound resident with health issues limiting his dexterity and mobility. During COVID he couldn’t get to the grocery story so he would order the things he needed and would ask a neighbor to go pick them up.
Powell says more and more phone calls and requests for help started coming into the Association, so the community association compiled an official list of residents they could call on for help. Estrella’s Good Neighbor program currently has about 20 volunteers, each willing to do a variety of tasks. “One woman can help drive to appointments; others can do dog grooming. It’s just a very wide variety of services. We can even help arrange to have your trash cans brought in if you’re going to be out of town” shared Powell.
While the Good Neighbor program was an unexpected byproduct of the pandemic, Powell said she’s loved watching it take shape and reflects on its beginning. “When they reach out, they’re in their darkest hour. Who else calls their HOA office for help?” She said the only thing she would change about the program is hearing the end of the story. “We put out the ask and we connect people, but we don’t always get to hear how it turned out! But as long as our residents are getting the help they need, the program is working.”
Find your new home at Estrella.com and discover why 7,600 families already call this diverse, welcoming West Valley master-planned community home. Located in Goodyear, Arizona amongst pristine mountains and a dramatic desert landscape, Estrella amenities include multiple Residents’ Clubs, resort-style pools and a waterpark, 72 acres of lakes, 65-plus miles of paths and trails, the Yacht Club of Estrella, the award-winning Nicklaus Design course at the Golf Club of Estrella, community welcome center, and more than 50 neighborhood parks.
