FIMBY

FIMBY (Family In My Backyard) turns the place you live into a place you belong.

Most apps teach us to scroll past each other. FIMBY helps neighbours slow down, notice each other, and share everyday life close to home.

It is built on a simple hope: that a neighbourhood shaped by generosity and love can feel different from one shaped by scarcity and fear.

FIMBY is a neighbourhood app for the people around you, not a city-wide feed. Ask for help, offer what you have, lend and borrow everyday things, coordinate shared purchases, gather, and stay connected in small, ordinary ways.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Ask and offer

Post what you need or what you can share, from moving help to extra soup.

Lend and borrow

Create a neighbourhood lending library for tools, books, kitchen gear, and other useful things. Borrowers and return dates are tracked for you.

Bulk buys

Split large purchases with neighbours. Reserve shares and let FIMBY keep the allocations organized.

Gather

Host a dinner, plan a cleanup day, share a block party, or pass along a local event worth knowing about.

Share life

Post a story, a thank you, a hard moment, or a prayer request (if that is something you do).

Messages

Coordinate through response threads, direct messages, and group chats, all in one inbox.

BUILT FOR REAL NEIGHBOURS

Local by design

You see the same neighbours over time, not thousands of strangers. Names become familiar. Small acts of care start becoming real relationships.

Belonging over performance

No likes. No followers. No trending. FIMBY is for showing up, not showing off.

Care preferences

During onboarding, you can share how neighbours can care for you, on your terms. What kind of support is welcome, what feels unhelpful, and how people should reach out. Everything is optional and editable.

Support people

Someone you trust can help you use FIMBY, including posting and messaging on your behalf. Built for elders, disabled neighbours, people with low tech confidence, and anyone who would rather have a trusted someone help them take part.

Local organizations

Community centres, shelters, churches, and other local groups can share events, meal times, programs, and practical information in the same neighbourhood feed.

PRIVACY AND RESPECT

No ads. No data harvesting. No engagement metrics. Your neighbours are not an audience to be monetized.

You choose what to share, with whom, and you can change your mind. Contact sharing is granular and revocable. Blocking is bidirectional.

Quiet by design

Set quiet hours, choose what you hear about, and let the rest wait for morning. FIMBY is a doorbell, not a slot machine.

Delete anytime

Go to Settings, then Delete my account. Your login is revoked right away, with a 30-day grace window to restore your account if you change your mind.

WHO IT IS FOR

FIMBY is for adults 19 and older who live in an active FIMBY neighbourhood. It is open to everyone, whatever your background or beliefs. You do not need to belong to any organization, church, or community group to find a place here.

FIMBY grew out of more than 20 years of neighbouring in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside: shared meals, prayer, lending, checking in, practical help, and local groups trying to care well for the same place.

FIMBY is not a replacement for shelters, health care, crisis lines, detox, or other essential services. It is one small way to help neighbours and local groups share everyday life and practical care, close to home.

Technology can make needs visible. It can make generosity easier to act on. It can open a door. But it cannot make us love our neighbours. That part is still ours to live. FIMBY helps make it a little less hard to start.

Currently available in Vancouver's V6A neighbourhood, and growing neighbourhood by neighbourhood.