Window of Fortune bounding local neighborhood together
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — With more people walking around the neighborhood in San Roque, Andi Schloss decided to create an interactive game.
Over the past five weeks, she’s hosted the Window of Fortune.
This involves placing blank papers with words on her front window every Monday. As the days pass by, Schloss slowly fills in each letter until Saturday.
Neighbors try and solve the word puzzle by texting over their answers.
“We noticed even more people coming around and just walking the same path every day,” Schloss said. “We thought that we might as well give them something exciting to do on their walk.”
The game is quickly gaining popularity throughout the neighborhood.
“I think we have about 100-120 people playing every week,” Schloss said.
It’s also bringing the neighborhood in San Roque together.
“I walk and walk and I happened upon Andi’s window and I’ve made so many friends in this town because of this window,” nearby neighbor Deborah Ferris said.
“It’s been so fun to walk by and say hello to neighbors that you know and meet new ones that you don’t know,” San Roque resident Candice Wildenborg said. “This family has been just so warm and open and what a fantastic idea.”
The quicker people guess the answer correctly, the more tickets they receive in Saturday’s finale raffle.
Prizes include $15 gift cards to local restaurants and businesses.
“We wanted to support local businesses through this endeavor,” Schloss said. “We also wanted to find a way incentivize people to play the game, so we started offering local gift cards.”
The game offers a lighthearted distraction for everyone involved.
“At a time when people are feeling really distanced, it’s actually brought us closer together as a community,” Schloss said.
“Stopping by this window and sharing what our guesses are and meeting new friends and old neighbors has been something that has drawn everyone together,” Ferris said.
“We’re all walking and it’s nice to just have something fun to do in our neighborhood that brings people together,” Wildenborg concluded.
The answer to this week’s puzzle was our very own John Palminteri. The grand prize included a $15 gift card to locally owned coffee shop Vices & Spices.
