When we hear the words "small town," many of us might picture a lively, walkable community where friendly neighbors spontaneously knock on each other's doors, throw block parties and regularly invite one another over for dinner.
Nowadays, that pleasant picture doesn't seem so realistic. It's not that we've lost our sense of kindness — it's just that so many of us rely on our devices for communication, failing to go out of our way to get to know the people around us, especially our neighbors.
That's where Silverwood stands out. Located between two mountain ranges at the foot of Silverwood Lake in Hesperia, California, this community doesn't just offer breathtaking views — it's founded on a "Culture of Kindness," meaning residents sign a kindness pledge along with their closing documents.
But what exactly do new residents promise before moving in? We spoke to John Ohanian, general manager of Silverwood, for all the details.
What is a "Culture of Kindness"?
The concept of a culture of kindness was partially inspired by Tom Tait, the former mayor of Anaheim, who ran on the platform of creating a city of kindness.
"We met with Tom and listened to what he had done with the city and the successes he had there, and then we tried to learn from that some of the things that would work in our business," says Ohanian.
It started out with a contract of kindness for the site team, who pledged to treat contractors, consultants, builders and everyone else in the city with kindness. Then, it morphed into another idea: "Let's make that something our residents do too. Let's have a contract so when they get their closing documents, there's an agreement they have to read."
What's in the pledge?
When residents choose to live in Silverwood, they're sent a pledge along with all the other typical move-in documents. Here's what it says:
"We look to create a place where the beauty of the natural surroundings is no match to the beauty of how we treat one another as neighbors, creating a beautiful canvas of community only possible with each of us being kind to one another," the document states.
What happens if you aren't kind?
The idea of a community where everyone's kind to one another seems like a wonderful idea, but for all you skeptics out there, we had to ask what happens when someone isn't kind.
"We'd like to believe that there's a check in your spirit. Everybody's going to have a meltdown, and there's going to be a bad day, and that happens. But you just say, 'You know what? I don't need to take it out on everybody else.' That's our hope," says Ohanian.
While residents won't get kicked out for not being kind (phew), the team at Silverwood hopes to foster a community culture that encourages residents to keep kindness at the forefront of everything they do. It's certainly aspirational, but it also feels practical — if everyone around you is doing their best to be kind, you might give it some extra effort.
Sure, this specific community only exists in California right now, but the concept doesn't have to stop there. Say hello to your neighbors, help out raking leaves or even knock on someone's door to introduce yourself. You never know the effect it could have on your own neighborhood.
Laura Millar (she/her) is the assistant lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home design. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she wrote for NBC's TODAY.com, where she covered everything from entertainment news to pop culture updates.
