{"id":775,"date":"2015-12-18T06:50:28","date_gmt":"2015-12-18T11:50:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/?p=775"},"modified":"2015-12-18T00:24:59","modified_gmt":"2015-12-18T05:24:59","slug":"week-66-two-weeks-to-happyness-spread-the-love-happyness-in-action-with-sarah-harmeyer-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/?p=775","title":{"rendered":"Week #66 – Two Weeks to Happyness: SPREAD THE LOVE! (Happyness in Action with Sarah Harmeyer)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"IMG_1487\"<\/a>

The Original Neighbor’s Table (credit: Sarah Harmeyer)<\/p><\/div>\n

Week #66 – Two Weeks to Happyness: SPREAD THE LOVE!<\/strong>
\n(Happyness in Action with Sarah Harmeyer)<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Editor\u2019s note: Our second-annual 50 for #50 Virtual Toy Drive is underway! \u00a0<\/strong>You choose your gift and your location — or some other Random Act of Happyness<\/span>. \u00a0Just let us know what you donated and where…and maybe even post a photo! \u00a0We\u2019ve already logged the first ten gifts! \u00a0Keep ’em coming!]<\/em><\/p>\n

Greetings Happyness Tribe!<\/strong><\/p>\n

This week, I am so pleased to announce our fifth nomination for Happyness in Action<\/strong><\/a>: Sarah Harmeyer of Dallas, TX for her creation of Neighbor\u2019s Table. Sarah took a simple concept and a sweet memory — and turned it into “A Love Mission\u201d that has kept her (and her family) busy for over four years and just landed her table on HGTV\u2019s \u201cNashville Flipped!\u201d \u00a0She is the \u201cChief People Gatherer\u201d at Neighbor\u2019s Table — a movement that encourages people to step outside their homes and get to know their neighbors, one table at a time!<\/p>\n

And it all started in her own backyard!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sarah shared her story with me: \u201cThe concept of Neighbor\u2019s Table comes from my personal passion for gathering people and my desire to get to know my neighbors. \u00a0I asked my Dad to build a table big enough to seat 20. In 2012, I set a goal to serve 500 people at that table, one dinner party after another. \u00a0I did it that year, and have now gathered almost 2,000 people since.\u201d<\/p>\n

But why a table?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought back to the very best moments in my life and it was always around the table. \u00a0It was around the kitchen, planning parties, celebrating other people. \u00a0In graduate school I even had a little cafe out of my house and it was the very best year of my life. \u00a0So, I started paying attention to when I came alive. \u00a0That\u2019s when a friend helped me realize I was a people gatherer.\u201d<\/p>\n

So Sarah\u2019s father built her a custom table. \u00a0\u201cI had my first party in March of 2012 and I extended invitations to my neighborhood. \u00a0I invited them to step outside their home and meet neighbors, even if they\u2019ve never done so. \u00a0To my surprise, 91 neighbors came that night — and the rest was history.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first goal: 500.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How did she go from 91 to 500 that first year? \u00a0\u201cI told people my goal of 500 people that year and when people know about your goal they ask you about it. \u00a0On Thanksgiving Day 2012, the 500th guest walked down my driveway. \u00a0There was clapping, cheers, photos and video. \u00a0We did it, it became OUR table, not just my table.\u201d \u00a0Since then, Sarah reports that almost 2000 people have celebrated at the original Neighbor\u2019s Table.<\/p>\n

But Sarah didn\u2019t stop there. \u00a0\u201cA couple of years ago I asked my Dad if he\u2019d be willing to build tables for other people. \u00a0I got to thinking it would be really fun to cheer people on to love their neighbors and to start their own love mission in their community.\u201d \u00a0I asked Sarah about the first table they built after their own. \u00a0\u201cThe first table we built, after the original, was delivered to a college student in Waco, TX as a surprise from her parents. \u00a0We delivered it on October 19, 2013.\u201d<\/p>\n

And now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been building tables from our family barn and delivering them all over the country. \u00a0We want to see ordinary people loving extraordinarily around the table.\u201d \u00a0There are Neighbor’s Tables currently in 10 states — with a goal of having tables in backyards in every state in the US by 2020! \u00a0\u201cThe power of community that now regularly gathers at the original Neighbor\u2019s Table has spurred a desire to launch a movement — a love mission, if you will.\u201d<\/p>\n

I asked Sarah what Happyness means to her: \u201cHappiness is gathering friends and strangers alike around the table and figuring out ways the entire time on how to love them. \u00a0Happiness is cheering others to love. \u00a0Happiness is doing the thing that God has made you to do.”<\/p>\n

What about you, Happyness Tribe? \u00a0Are you ready to Spread the Love?<\/p>\n

Your Happyness Challenge for the week ahead: GATHER TOGETHER!<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Last week<\/a>, Aubrey challenged us to put down our devices and spend quality time with the ones we love. \u00a0Sarah now encourages us to bring our NEIGHBORS into the mix! \u00a0This might be especially meaningful during the holidays — when one or more of your neighbors are alone or distanced from family (or perhaps it\u2019s you that feels alone this holiday season). \u00a0Open your doors! \u00a0Spread the Love!<\/p>\n

\u201cMake time for someone in your community. Look for ways to love those to the left and right of you.\u201d (Sarah Harmeyer)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spread Happyness — Spread the Love! \u00a0Get to know your neighbors this week — and tell us about it in the comments!<\/p>\n

12\/18\/15 by Grace Church<\/em>
\n\u00a9 Grace Church<\/em><\/p>\n

(Thanks to Sarah Harmeyer for welcoming me to her virtual table! \u00a0To learn more about Sarah and Neighbor\u2019s Table, read inspiring stories, or find out how to get a custom handcrafted table for your own backyard — follow Neighbor\u2019s Table on Instagram<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>, or sign up for emails or purchase at http:\/\/neighborstable.com<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

50 for #50 Virtual Toy Drive Update \u00a0(AS OF 12\/18\/15):<\/strong>
\n1. A football, Hot Wheels set, Loom activity set, 500-piece puzzle, toy construction vehicle, mini construction vehicle set, and a tea party set were donated to Toys for Tots.
\n2. Lego Friends toy donated at Turtleback Zoo Toy Drive.
\n3. Donation was made to Teterboro Animal Shelter
\n4. Donation was made to Endometriosis Foundation of America
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Keep ’em coming!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Week #66 – Two Weeks to Happyness: SPREAD THE LOVE! (Happyness in Action with Sarah Harmeyer) [Editor\u2019s note: Our second-annual 50 for #50 Virtual Toy Drive is underway! \u00a0You choose your gift and your location — or some other Random Act of Happyness. \u00a0Just let us know what you donated and where…and maybe even post […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=775"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":781,"href":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775\/revisions\/781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}