Missouri Good Neighbor Week may offer us something we desperately need but rarely recognize: permission to look away from the constant cascade of negativity. I was reminded of that this weekend when I logged onto Facebook to post about Missouri Good Neighbor Week. I visited 14 different community pages on social media, inviting people to share positive stories about neighbors helping neighbors. I knew I had stiff competition. On those same pages were posts about development, traffic, schools, city decisions and other community issues. Some were attracting dozens of comments from the usual collection of armchair community planners, engineers, economists and experts. My posts about neighbors doing good things? Across 14 pages, they generated a grand total of 18 interactions . And no submitted stories. That contrast raises an uncomfortable question. We regularly complain that social media is too negative. We complain that the news is depressing. We worry about division, ang...

Over several days in the middle of September, I had the unusual privilege of reading and scoring  nominations from across the nation for Neighbor of the Year. It was a big job. There were 115 nominations from 34 states to score! By the end, I had read stories about people shoveling snow, repairing cars, delivering food, checking on older adults, welcoming newcomers, organizing neighborhood gatherings, helping people find housing, mentoring young people, preparing communities for wildfire, and simply becoming the person others know they can call. Taken together, the nominations offered something more valuable than a list of good deeds.  They offered a picture of what neighboring looks like in America today. And after the public voted on our Top 10 (over 6,000 votes were cast) we ended up with the first Neighbor of the Year in Neighbor's Bank contest. You can read about Judi Carlson of Dunwoody, Georgia online . The judging rubric asked us to consider six things: positive impact...

Six Missouri businesses have been selected to receive the 2026 Missouri Good Neighbor Week Most Neighborly Business Award, recognizing businesses that go beyond transactions to build trust, uplift people and strengthen their communities. The 2026 honorees are: ●        D'Zines by T, Macon ●        Villainous Grounds, Perryville ●        Mama Lisa's Grille, Sweet Springs ●        Bolton's General Store, Walnut Grove area ●        Granny Barb's Pies and More LLC, Bismarck ●        Leopold Country Store, Leopold The awards are part of Missouri Good Neighbor Week, celebrated Sept. 28-Oct. 4. Missouri Good Neighbor Week is an initiative of University of Missouri Extension and is officially recognized by the State of Missouri. "Businesses help shape the daily life of a community," said David Burton...

  An ambassador is, by definition, a person who represents and promotes a person, organization, cause, or country to others. The word has two important ideas built into it: Representative — An ambassador represents something they believe in. They carry its message, values, and identity to other people. Relationship builder — An ambassador doesn’t merely deliver information; they build connections, create goodwill, and encourage others to become involved. What does an ambassador actually do?  An ambassador typically: Represents — speaks positively and accurately about the organization or cause. Introduces — tells others about the opportunity and invites them to participate. Connects — brings people, organizations, and resources together. Encourages — motivates others to take action. Models — demonstrates the behavior or values the organization promotes. Expands reach — takes the organization’s me...