If you do not know your neighbours' names, let alone if any are on oxygen support, or if you are a doctor or have a substantial chest freezer, Neighbourhood Support wants to help you.
Regional co-ordinator Sarah Hexamer-McNamara is taking a proactive approach to informing communities about the benefits of being part of the organisation.
Meetings in Broad Bay and Brighton last year, and more recently in Fairfield and Mosgiel, returned positive results.
Another meeting is planned for Outram on May 4, she said.
Neighbourhood Support groups in Dunedin have doubled in the past year, to 187, made up of 2000 members.
The groups were about much more than monitoring neighbourhood crime, Mrs Hexamer-McNamara said.
They were also about connecting residents and fostering preparedness for any type of emergency.
Mosgiel was an example of an area which would benefit from more support groups being set up there.
Because of its rapid growth, she was concerned new residents could feel isolated.
While the Mosgiel Community Patrols had addressed antisocial behaviour, people could be doing similar work "from their own front room".
Neighbourhood groups not only helped reduced crime, but also "help reduce the fear of crime because people feel more connected", Mrs Hexamer-McNamara said.
The Civil Defence message was also important, as knowing who had particular skills on a street, such as medical training, or who was vulnerable, could be vitally important during an emergency.
"In every street you've got so many skills that when they are used together, they are phenomenal," she said.
Dunedin City Council Civil Defence manager Neil Brown said as Neighbourhood Support groups gave prior thought to emergency situations, they would be better prepared to deal with crises.
"If Neighbourhood Support groups can look after themselves, it's one less job for the city to deal with."
Groups ranged in size from 12 houses to 50, with a street contact person holding initial contact details on members, which could grow into next-of-kin contacts and a skills and resources database.
Members met as often as they liked and were kept up to date on events and crime in the area via a monthly newsletter.
