Photo by Gwen Sour The window display at the Marietta Makery features information about Consumer Credit Counseling Services’ Murder at the Ghost Town Gala.

Greta Guimond, the owner of the Marietta Makery, began a project she calls “Welcome to the NeighborGOOD.”

The Welcome to the NeighborGOOD project focuses on intentional acts of community service to create camaraderie in the community.

According to Guidmond, the project was born out of her concept that even when you are struggling, the best way to cope is to give back to the community.

“One of the reasons I started this was I just didn’t feel like it belonged; if you don’t feel a part of your community, then you create your community.” said Guimond, “I don’t want it to come off as I’m doing this for me, because I’m really not doing this for me, I want to make other people succeed.”

The project has several moving parts from smaller acts like a free little art gallery to larger actions like a Window Takeover of the Marietta Makery. The Marietta Makery also supports the #MariettaArtDrops which collects and scatters art across Marietta for the community to find and keep, the Community Canvas and the Public Art Fund (Spare Change Changes Our Town).

The Free Little Art Gallery is attached to the front of the Marietta Makery. This gallery is a place where people can collect small art projects left by members of the community and as the name proclaims, it is all for free. Community members are encouraged to drop off their art in the box to share. Art left at the gallery can be small things like index card sketches, photography, handmade jewelry or anything an individual wishes to share.

One of the other projects Marietta Makery took on over the summer was an Art Swap. The art swap took place during the last three First Fridays and was free to the community. Individuals were encouraged to bring art supplies they weren’t using and exchange them for supplies they needed. Any supplies that were left over from the event were donated to the Boys and Girls Club and the women’s shelter. According to Guimond, the community was beyond grateful for the opportunity.

“People cried, they were like ‘Are you sure,'” said Guimond. “People who didn’t have the money came in and they were probably the most gracious of everyone. They were like, ‘Is it one thing, can you take five things?’ You can take as much as you want.”

Window Takeovers are a huge feature of Welcome to the NeighborGOOD. The takeover is a window display at the Marietta Makery and kicked off in July with the Harmar Days Festival’s display.

The idea of the displays, according to Guimond, is to give greater awareness of the events and resources available around them.

“There is an element of surprise when walking by my shop when they see something totally unrelated to what they think they are going to see in the display window, giving even more attention to the group,” she said.

Each takeover lasts two weeks and features local non-profits or upcoming community events. Harmar Days was the first event featured followed by the River, Trails and Ales festival, EVE Inc. then put up a display for its benefit auction.

The current group on display is Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Mid-Ohio Valley (CCCS). They are hosting a Murder at the Ghost Town Gala as a fundraising event. The event is on Nov. 2 and tickets are available at cccsmystery.yapsody.com.

According to Sandy Hintz, the program and resource and development manager for CCCS, they hope that the display will help them not only gain attendance at the gala but also catch the community’s attention.

“It’s for two things, you know, fundraise,” said Hintz. “Also to build awareness for what we do, we’ve been around for 50 years … a lot of people think we work on their credit but it’s not just that we help them through their debt.”

Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com