Chris Collins
Terrie Howe, left, and Rachel Roberts help arrange the plentiful spread of cheese, olives, nuts and other delicacies.
A crowded holiday party full of strangers might sound awkward, yet the vibe is relaxed, friendly and positive at the “Charcuterie Extravaganza” in the community room of Meadow Grove Apartments on Cottage Grove Road. People pull out phones to take photos of the edible array, but no one is hiding behind their personal screen.
The spread is magnificent: two 3-foot by 8-foot tables filled with swirls of cheese and crackers, roses of salami, and piles of candied nuts, dried fruits, chocolates and olives. Each person attending has contributed something.
This party has good food, but that’s not really the point. Rather, this gathering is a deliberate effort to create community, with a capital C. Most of the 30 or so attendees do not know each other, but all are here because of LC Cunningham, Madison’s Nextdoor hero.
Neighborhood-based social media app Nextdoor has a reputation for crime reports, complaints, and comments that can quickly turn petty. Users from across Madison found a refreshing change of pace when Cunningham started posting long, upbeat posts introducing himself as someone new to Madison who was seeking to meet people and get to know the lay of the land. His questions like, “What makes a supper club different from other restaurants?” invite interaction.
“It’s interesting to see through his eyes,” says Katy Sticha while waiting for finishing touches to be made to the unfolding smorgasbord. She, like many others at the gathering, have enjoyed reading Cunningham’s Nextdoor posts. She was curious to meet him in person when he posted last summer that he would be sitting in a lawn chair at a certain time in Olbrich Park and anyone who wanted to should stop by and say hello. “He had his groupies,” Sticha says.
Once the weather turned colder, Cunningham posted invitations to meet at coffee shops to plan indoor events. Those casual meetings led to this festive feast as well as an excursion to see the Zoo Lights at Henry Vilas Zoo. A chili cook-off is planned for January.
As the noshables gradually disappear, half a dozen firefighters and emergency responders from Fire Station 5 join the party. Cunningham, who works as an urgent care nurse, invited the first responders for the chance to interact with the community outside of an emergency.
He invited them to the upcoming chili cook-off as well, which is a fundraiser for Underdog Pet Rescue. This ability to give back was part of Cunningham’s motivation to start his Nextdoor group. “I’m a helper of people. But to help people you have to know people,” he says.
These positive works inspire others. One party attendee talks about the volunteer effort she is organizing to provide games and snacks for children at one of Madison’s troubled apartment buildings during winter break.
As people stand around the tables of food discussing Wisconsin sushi (aka Lutheran sushi, frog eyes, or pickle roll-ups), it is not just Wisconsin culinary traditions that Cunningham sees at play, but Midwestern friendliness. Cunningham served in the military for 20 years, moving around a lot and living on both coasts. He’s found it easier to get to know his neighbors in Wisconsin than in most places.
“If you live here long enough,” he says, “you forget how good you’ve got it.”
Salami roses on display at Charcuterie Extravaganza: 3
Types of cheeses: 26
Members in Nextdoor group, LC ♥ Madison: About 325
Number of comments on an LC post asking, in part, what people from Wisconsin call themselves: 405
Most common answer: Cheesehead
