How a Mom With a Picnic Table and a Paintbrush Started a Community-Building Movement

In the midst of a loneliness epidemic, Kristin Schell put a question to the test: What happens when you just show up?

Kristin Schell, author and founder of "The Turquoise Table" and "Front Yard People" movement, sits at her own turquoise table. Courtesy of Kristin Schell

Ten years ago, in central Austin, Texas, Kristin Schell painted a picnic table bright turquoise and placed it near the curb in her front yard. Then, she sat down and waited. She felt a bit crazy, but in her heart, she was hoping that by sitting outside so conspicuously, she might meet a few of her neighbors.

Within a few hours, she met a neighbor from around the corner. Within a few weeks, a small group of neighbors was gathering to tell stories. Within months, families were gathering on Friday evenings, and more turquoise tables were popping up around town.