One Shoreline Resident With a Big Idea: Building Community by Creating Ways for Neighbors to Connect

From baking gatherings to book conversations, Shoreline resident Pam Stucky is experimenting with small ways to bring people together.

What if building a stronger community started with something as simple as sharing a book recommendation, gathering around baked goods, or meeting a neighbor over lunch?

That's the question Shoreline resident Pam Stucky is exploring through a personal community-building experiment: creating more opportunities for neighbors to meet, discover shared interests, and do things together.

This isn't a city program or an established organization with a staff and a budget. It's one person's idea, starting with a few small gatherings and an open mind about what might develop.

The first offerings are the Open Book Lovers Group and the newly launched Shoreline Baking Club.

A book group without homework

The Open Book Lovers Group offers readers a way to connect, but without an assigned book to finish before attending. Instead, participants are invited to share what they've read and loved (or hated), discover new titles, and talk with fellow bibliophiles.

It's a low-pressure way to meet people through a shared interest, without adding another obligation to an already busy schedule.

Participation is free. The next gathering will be Sunday, November 8, 2026 from 11:30am to 1:30pm at the Shoreline Library Small Conference Room, 345 NE 175th St, Shoreline 98155.

The Shoreline Baking Club

The brand-new Shoreline Baking Club invites people who enjoy baking to gather, share their baked goods, and get to know other local residents.

Its inaugural gathering, with the theme of “Holiday Cookie Tray Inspiration,” will invite participants to share a treat they might include on a holiday cookie gift tray, discover new ideas, and exchange inspiration for their own holiday baking.

The first gathering will be November 15 from 2 to 4pm, with advance registration required. Tickets are $12. Purchase tickets here.

Creating the kind of community we want to live in

The baking and book groups are early examples of a broader idea: making it easier for people in Shoreline to meet their neighbors and create a greater sense of community and belonging.

“I've been thinking a lot about community lately—how we're all so isolated these days, despite being constantly connected online; how we're so divided. But it's a lot harder to hate someone when you're talking face to face. I decided to get proactive about building the kind of place I want to live in,” Stucky says.

“I've heard so many people say they want to meet new people but don't know how, beyond going to a bar. I've organized tons of events over the years, so I'm quite familiar with mailing lists, ticketing sites, newsletters, and everything that goes into putting an event together.

"At some point it dawned on me: You can just do things. If you want more connection in your community, you can start a group, organize an event, find common interests, and invite people to come together. You don't have to wait for someone else to make it happen. I thought, why not try? And so here we are.”

The possibilities are wide open. Future activities might include puzzle swaps, excursions, concerts, lectures, workshops, seasonal gatherings, cultural outings, entirely new groups suggested by participants, and more.

Some activities will be free; others may have a ticket price that reflects the costs of putting on the event, the experience being offered, and the work involved in organizing it. The aim is to make activities sustainable while creating opportunities for people to participate in ways that work for them.

"In my mind, I think of it as the Explorgasbord," Stucky laughs. "A smorgasbord of exploration, endless opportunities for adventures."

Because this is currently a one-person effort, the goal is to start at a manageable scale rather than promise everything at once. As the experiment grows, participants may have opportunities to contribute ideas, organize their own gatherings, or take the lead on activities they'd like to see continue.

The vision isn't for one person to run every group forever. It's to help create the connections and momentum that allow more community-led activities to develop.

One mailing list, many possibilities

Residents who want to follow along can join a general mailing list for announcements about existing groups, new gatherings, excursions, and other possibilities as they develop. When people sign up they are also able to select specific interest areas for more targeted mailings.

Join the mailing list here 

An invitation to businesses

Stucky has an abundance of ideas for the future, including ways to bring Shoreline businesses and residents together through community events, local partnerships, and sponsorship opportunities. 

In the coming months, she plans to begin reaching out to explore what those collaborations might look like. In the meantime, local businesses interested in finding out how they might get involved are welcome to contact her at connect@pamstucky.com.