In southern Alamance County, one couple’s effort to bring neighbors together is creating new spaces for connection, conversation and collective action.
By Linda Gupton
When Frankie Blackburn traveled to North Carolina with her daughter more than a decade ago to tour colleges, she didn’t expect the trip would spark her own return to the state.
While she’d graduated from high school in Raleigh and completed university and graduate-level studies at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill, Frankie had spent most of her adult life raising her family in Silver Spring, Maryland.
But a desire to return to North Carolina never went away, and in 2014, she and her life partner Bill Traynor bought property in southern Alamance County and put down new roots here.
Frankie and Bill have both spent their careers working as strategic community builders, both in their home community and as consultants for organizations all around the country. They continue to offer strategic coaching related to community building and community change through their company, Trusted Space Partners.
“When we moved here, we saw a wonderful community all around us, but no networks to bring people together,” Frankie said. “So, we started inviting people to our place because we had a barn where people could gather.”
“We started with a lot of parties, going bowling, taking a group to a Sock Puppets game,” said Bill. “Many Friday evenings, we’d have happy hour with others around our fire pit.
That was the genesis of Neighbor Up, a community-building effort that connects southern Alamance County residents with one another while keeping them informed about events and opportunities in the area, as well as decisions being made by local government that affect their community.
“Our community and country need places to interact outside our tribes,” said Bill. “We used to have community spaces to nurture that kind of interaction. We need a 21st century version of those kinds of spaces.”
The need for safe community spaces to gather as well as a desire to get to know neighbors better is one of the issues that comes up constantly during community conversations sponsored by the For Alamance initiative, a grassroots effort that empowers community members to take action on issues that matter to them. Neighbor Up is helping meet that need in southern Alamance County.
Neighbor Up’s weekly email newsletter is at the heart of the initiative and now has over 300 subscribers. Twice a month, the newsletter highlights ways for neighbors to gather, serve and help one another.
On the alternate two weeks of the month, Neighbor Notes shows up in subscribers’ email boxes. Local residents called “neighbor observers” attend and write about what’s happening at county commission, school board and planning board meetings. The observers focus on what matters most to southern Alamance residents.
“How we cover a meeting is really formed around a question,” said Bill. “‘Is the county commission going to step up to fund schools?’ for instance.”
Neighbor Up also organized several “Saxapaholla” events in the local amphitheater in 2025. The event features residents sharing their voices through music, spoken word poetry, storytelling and more. “Saxapaholla creates space for people to be seen, to be heard – and to celebrate each other and meet new people,” Frankie said.
Southern Alamance resident Annie Huth doesn’t engage with social media and appreciates having a locally produced source of information about ways to connect with neighbors and show up to support positive change.
“The newsletter lets me know what’s happening in local political news such as updates from our commissioners’ meetings, and to know about gatherings or rallies where we can advocate together,” she added.
“Neighbor Up has offered a warm and welcoming invitation to deepen my relationship with the Saxapahaw community,” said resident Mary Harwood. “I read the newsletter faithfully and even if I don’t show up for some activities, I still mark my calendar and feel both inspired by and invited to stretch my social wings!”
“Neighbor Up is our very own resourceful, thoughtful, accountable and loving form of community AI, without any of the ethical or moral issues,” added resident Tom Stern. “We are a better community because of it.”
While Neighbor Up has been a great start, Bill feels like there is lots more open space to experiment with community building in Alamance County.
“We don’t have to deconstruct what exists to experiment with new approaches. It’s hard to imagine positive change without first tilling the soil of community.”
About For Alamance
For Alamance is a local grassroots effort that empowers community members to take action on issues that matter to them. By listening to each other and working together, we’re building a more inclusive, hopeful path forward through five action teams: Arts & Culture, Bridging, Faith, Narrative and Youth Wellness. To learn more, contact Jewel White at jewel.white@conehealth.com
Want to get involved with Neighbor Up Southern Alamance?
Contact Frankie Blackburn and Bill Traynor at frankie.blackburn@gmail.com.
