Category Archives: Ferndale Good Neighbors

2018 Good Neighbor Awards

Events, Ferndale Good Neighbors

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale is proud to announce the 2018 winners of its Good Neighbor = Strong Community awards. The annual awards celebrate the ongoing efforts of those who live, work and attend school in Ferndale, who value the fair and equal treatment of others and are engaged in making this happen on a daily basis.  The Good Neighbors = Strong Community Awards program identifies and honors individuals, organizations and businesses in our community who are outstanding examples of “good neighbors.”


This year’s honorees include:

  • Grace Bacon
  • Doug Gillespie
  • Lindsay Gonska
  • Carol Jackson
  • Stacey Bellott Jamison
  • Beth O’Connor
  • MaKisha Reed
  • Laura Mikulski, Suzanne Janik & Eric Geiner of the Ferndale Rat Patrol
  • Cheryl Salinas-Tucker & Jeny Bulatovic of Rouge Make Up and Nails

“As always, the selection committee had a diverse pool of nominations, proving once again that Ferndale if full of Good Neighbors,” said Bridget Deegan-Krause, an organizer of the event. “This year we are honoring everyone from a school teacher who helps get food on kids’ tables to a local business that helps clients feel good inside and out.”

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale will hold a special event on November 13 at 7 p.m. at Ferndale’s Go Comedy to present the 2018 awards. Contact us at CFF48220@gmail.com or 248-439-0747 if you are interested in attending.

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale Call for Good Neighbor Nominations

CFF, Events, Ferndale Good Neighbors, Good Neighbors = Strong Community Awards, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 3, 2014                                                                    
Contact:  Kat Bruner James, Chair
248-515-7803,CFF48220@gmail.com              

FERNDALE: Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) is seeking nominations for its Good Neighbor = Strong Community Awards. The public is invited to nominate individuals, organizations and businesses in our community who are outstanding examples of “good neighbors,” and who are committed to building, preserving and improving the quality of life in their neighborhoods and community.

Nominations will be accepted through March 14, 2014. About 10 honorees will be selected and celebrated at a special event in May. Past winners have represented a diverse group of individuals ranging from well-recognized community leaders to quiet, unsung heroes who all make a difference daily through caring for others, speaking out against injustices or making people feel included in the community.

“Good Neighbors are what make Ferndale such a special place to live and do business,” said Kathryn Bruner James, CFF chair. “The Good Neighbors = Strong Community Awards are an opportunity to honor those who generously give so much to others through care, support and advocacy.” Previous honorees have include a selection of diverse individuals, organizations and businesses celebrated for good works in the community. They include community leaders and local businesses as well as those “unsung heroes” deserving of recognition.

Nomination forms can be found at www.fairferndale.org/?page_id=152. Submissions can be made online or mailed to Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester, Ferndale, MI 48220.

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, established in 2003. CFF is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental disability.  The group hosts forums and community workshops, encourages dialog to dissolve barriers and recognizes local residents who support its mission.

CFF meetings are held the second Thursday of every month at the Ferndale Public Library. For meeting information please contact Kat Bruner James at 248-515-7803. Everyone is welcome!

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Good neighbors

Civility Project, Ferndale Good Neighbors

We are so excited about our new Good Neighbor project! Hopefully, you have heard about the community discussions held over the past year (formerly known as “the Civility Project”), which has led to the development of the Good Neighbors Civility Pledge that we are launching at this year’s DIY Street Fair.

Stop by our booth near the front of the Library, and the question How will you be a Good Neighbor?  We will even take your picture as you proudly show your answers.  The uploaded pictures will be on rotating display in the booth all weekend.  Imagine the wonderful community collage these pictures will create!  Visitors can also review and sign on to …

The Ferndale Good Neighbors
Civility Pledge.

Ferndale Good Neighbors (a Committee of Citizens for a Fair Ferndale) believes in building community and strengthening our democracy. The best way to do this is to develop our capacity for quality communication around difficult issues. Communities like ours have taken conscious steps in this direction by adopting resolutions that define the qualities of civility and by encouraging individual pledges to uphold those qualities. We offer the Civility Pledge to help all of us as community members reflect on the quality of our own behavior and to work to engage each other in even more productive ways. By taking this pledge, you are committing to promoting civility in Ferndale and beyond. Please check each item to signify your commitment to the stated principle; then sign at the bottom.

  • I will work to PAY ATTENTION (Be aware of and attend to the world and people around me)
  • I will work to LISTEN (Focus on others in order to better understand their points of view)
  • I will work to BE INCLUSIVE (Invite all groups of people to work for the greater good of the community)
  • I will work to BE TRUTHFUL (Act in good faith; speak with accuracy and integrity)
  • I will work to AVOID GOSSIP (Be discrete; don’t participate in destructive communication)
  • I will work to SHOW RESPECT (Honor other people and their opinions, especially in the midst of a disagreement; don’t assume bad intentions in others)
  • I will work to SEEK COMMON GROUND (Look for points of agreement; don’t contradict just to do so)
  • I will work to REPAIR DAMAGED RELATIONSHIPS (Be sincere; apologize and forgive)
  • I will work to USE CONSTRUCTIVE LANGUAGE (Be mindful of the impact of the words I choose)
  • I will work to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY (Practice accountability in language and actions)

Click here for a printable copy of the pledge.