Community Suggestions
5 Points Community Social Services
Our 11,000-square-foot building at 3110 Sewells Point Rd, Norfolk, VA 23513 is a space for neighbors to gather, connect, and care for one another. We want to fill it with ideas that come from you. Residents, families, nonprofits, churches, businesses, and neighbors are all invited to share how this space can bring our community closer together.
Social Connection
Gatherings, clubs, shared meals, intergenerational programs, and spaces where neighbors become friends.
Shared Social Services
Resources and support neighbors can offer one another, from mentoring and classes to practical everyday help.
Partnerships
Nonprofits, churches, and local businesses: tell us how we can work together to serve the neighborhood.
Share Your Suggestion
Every idea helps shape a place where neighbors look out for neighbors. We would love to hear yours.
COMMUNITY STORIES · FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Bringing the Neighborhood Back, One Story at a Time
Answers to common questions about our local storytelling ministry for neighbors living within 8 miles of 3110 Sewells Point Rd.
What is the purpose of the Community Stories page?
Somewhere along the way, we lost our neighborhood to the nation. This page exists to bring it back. It is a place to share real, personal experiences with the people who live near you, not with the whole world, so we can know one another, care for one another, and find people close by. It is not a gossip section; it is a place of honesty, encouragement, and faith.
Who can participate?
Anyone is welcome. Our focus is on local stories from neighbors within about an 8-mile radius of 3110 Sewells Point Rd. You can share your own story, help collect stories from others, or both.
What kinds of stories fit?
All personal stories are welcome. Stories of pain, triumph, emptiness, abandonment, looking for love, and everything in between. We are not limiting topics at this time. If it is your experience, there is a place for it here.
What two ways can I get involved?
1) Share your story: write it yourself, or tell it to one of our story writers. 2) Collect stories: join our dedicated group of storytellers who listen to neighbors and help put their experiences into words. Both paths are open at the same time, and the choice is yours.
How are stories collected?
You may write and submit your own story, or sit down with a story writer and tell it in your own words. When working with a writer, the two of you decide together what is shared and what stays private.
How will my story be shared?
Stories are shared online on this page and in small groups, where teachers and leaders may use them as a source for biblical application, helping neighbors see God at work in everyday lives.
Do I have to reveal my name?
No. If you write your own story, you choose whether to share who you are. If you tell your story to a writer, you decide together what is publishable, including whether your identity is included.
Is consent required before publishing?
Yes. A signed waiver is required before any story is published, online or in small groups. Nothing is shared without your agreement.
What is not accepted?
Hearsay, gossip, and second-hand stories that begin with "I heard..." are not accepted. Every story must be a personal, first-hand experience of the person it belongs to.