KIRKLAND, Wash. — You can’t miss the Frank home, with the turquoise bathtub out front on Third Street in Kirkland. That’s where the neighborhood campfire and music meetup hosted by Kathy Frank and her husband will be; but this time, everyone’s invited.
“People need community and I need community and I love sharing life, and we need that so much. We have separated ourselves from nature and other people. We’re in our houses and I know my neighbors, it can be a beautiful day and you could be in the house with the door closed,” said Frank, a Kirkland resident.
Frank turned to the NextDoor app to look for friendships and make sure the connection isn’t lost between people.
“I just started posting stuff. More and more people have gotten on NextDoor, and they see something and spread the word, so I post(ed) this on NextDoor and I said, ‘Please come, please come.’”
Campfire and music meetups brought together neighbors and strangers, and helped create friendships. Frank says they’ve had people of all ages come together to sing, dance, grill and make one another feel welcomed.
“Maybe they’re foreigners or haven’t been here really long. I just love bringing people together.”
When asked if she’s ready to take on the load of strangers showing up at her home, Frank says it’s her calling.
“What I’m supposed to do in this lifetime is share, and if I find something good, like something I’m really into, I want to share it and I want to tell people about it.”
If you are up to meeting people from all walks of life, be sure to head to the 1800 block of Third Street this Saturday. The campfire starts at 6 p.m., and Kathy Frank will welcome you with open arms.
“I’d like us to be dancing around the fire Saturday night. So that’s what we’ll do. I’ll just make sure we do.”