Forever Boston Strong

As someone who was raised in New England, I watched the way people handled last year’s Boston Marathon bombings with both pride and gratitude. Many family members and friends still live in the area, including a cousin who was only yards from the second blast. She recounted heartwarming stories of perfect strangers protecting her during the aftermath and helping her safely get home despite a complete shutdown of the city.

I fondly remember New England as a tight-knit community where people make an effort to help each other in times of need. So it did not surprise me to see how Bostonians helped strangers, provided shelter for those in need, and aided authorities during the manhunt last April.

It’s this kind of instinctual neighborliness that inspired my co-founders and me to start Nextdoor. Most people in the world want to be good neighbors and help those around them, but they often just don’t have an easy way to offer their assistance. At Nextdoor, we want to bridge that gap and make it easy for neighbors everywhere to act on their good instincts and provide a helping hand to their fellow neighbors everyday.

I will forever be proud of the resiliency and neighborliness that fellow Bostonians showed in the wake of the bombings. It also serves as an important reminder of the power of neighbors during times of crisis, both big and small.

Forever Boston strong,

Sarah Leary
Co-Founder and VP of Marketing, Nextdoor