DUNNING — Neighbors are encouraged to bring their favorite party games to Momma J's Kitchen, 7551 W. Addison St., for the first-ever "Community Game Night" Thursday evening.
The event is being organized in part by the Dunning Neighborhood Organization, which plans community social events as a matter of course. But this time they're joining hands with the Dunning Community Watch, whose members are using the festivities to help neighbors join forces against crime, organizers said.
"From a crime aspect, you can only really identify suspicious activity if you know your neighbors' schedules and routines," said Jason Quaglia, a board member of the Dunning Neighborhood Organization. "You're not going to share that information with strangers."
"And the best way to develop those relationships is by getting to know each other in a fun setting, not in formalized meetings," Quaglia said.
The community watch group is hoping to use the event to help extend its "phone number tree," which helps residents stay in touch and coordinate 911 calls, Quaglia said.
The Community Game Night runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday.
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