Gary, IN
"Civility counts in Gary"
Community Civility Counts was born here in 2015. It started as an idea in the Gary Chamber of Commerce and became a campaign after partnering with The Times Media Co. Of all the challenges, it starts with civility and treating each other the way you want to be treated. This campaign has grown locally, statewide, and internationally. Governments, including the Indiana House and Senate, have adopted resolutions. We’ve begun civility in the classroom curriculum in two Gary charter schools where we highlight anti-bullying efforts that work. We bring volunteers together to greet visitors to the Pierogi Fest, the largest festival in Northwest Indiana, and we have started World Civility Day, held for the second year in April. People come from around the country and several nations to attend our events on World Civility Day. This year we had a day of workshops and a gala dinner.
Hundreds of people greet the 300,000 visitors to the annual Pierogi Fest in Whiting. Representing Community Civility Counts, they say hello and welcome visitors in an effort that has made organizers call it “the friendliest festival on earth.” Greeters volunteer and come from all walks of life.
Students taking the “civility in the classroom” classes talk about how their school has changed, how students respect each other, how they treat others the way they want to be treated.
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