In celebration of the United States 250th birthday this year, cities and states across the U.S. are planning events, festivals, and commemorations.  One city is offering a reminder that the most meaningful celebrations may not happen on a stage or in a stadium. They may happen on your street. In Philadelphia, leaders have announced an ambitious idea: host 250 block parties across the city to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Instead of concentrating the celebration in one downtown event, they are spreading it across neighborhoods and inviting residents to gather with the people who live closest to them. It’s a simple idea. But it carries a profound lesson. Taking Celebration to the Street Too often, we think of civic life as something that happens somewhere else, like at city hall, major events, or on national stages. But the approach of Philadelphia, and many other American cities now, flips that thinking on its head. It says: "start where you live." When neighbors gather...

We are going to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a special bonus session of Neighboring 101 at 12 noon CST on July 2. Our topic: “Talking Civics and Democracy with Neighbors.” This is a bonus session and the Zoom is open to the public . This is an especially important topic at a time when many Americans are searching for ways to rebuild trust, connection, and healthy civic dialogue in their communities. Our guest will be Siri C. Erickson, Senior Director for Strategy and Learning with Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement. PACE is a philanthropic laboratory for funders seeking to maximize their individual and collective impact on democracy and civic life in America. The PACE community achieves this through learning, experimenting, collaborating, and modeling vibrant civic space.   Of particular interest is the new study from PACE’s Civic Language Perceptions Project, “How to Talk About Democracy Under Pressure.” This study, called “How to Talk Bridgey 2.0,” translates fre...

A few times each week, while walking my dog, I cross paths with a neighbor who is walking his dog. We’ve never exchanged names. We don’t know where each other works. We don’t know each other’s stories, political views, or life histories. We haven’t traded phone numbers or shared meals. But every time we see each other, something wonderful happens. As we approach, we raise our hands, exchange a high five, and laugh. That’s it. The interaction lasts only a few seconds. Then we continue on our separate ways. Yet those few seconds matter more than they probably should. In a culture that respects deep relationships, networking, and carefully cultivated communities, it’s easy to overlook the power of these tiny moments. We tend to think belonging comes from close friendships, family ties, or organized groups. Certainly those things matter. But belonging is also built through small, repeated experiences that quietly remind us: I am part of this place. My unnamed neighbor and...

  Across Missouri, communities are searching for ways to address rising loneliness, social isolation, and the growing sense that many people no longer feel connected to the places where they live. While many efforts focus on responding to these problems after they emerge, Missouri Good Neighbor Week represents something different: an upstream approach that works to prevent social disconnection before it becomes a crisis. Missouri Good Neighbor Week, observed annually from September 28 through October 4, encourages residents to connect with their neighbors through simple acts of kindness, neighborhood gatherings, and community engagement. The initiative was established by state law in 2022 based on a straightforward but powerful idea: when people know their neighbors, communities become stronger, safer, and healthier. What Does “Upstream” Mean? In public health and community development, an upstream approach focuses on addressing root causes rather than symptoms. Imagine standing be...

  At a time when many Americans are searching for belonging, struggling with loneliness, or feeling increasingly disconnected from the people around them, our next guest on Neighboring 101 is helping lead a national conversation about how we rebuild human connection in everyday life. I am excited to welcome Aaron Hurst to Neighboring 101 on June 25, 2026. You can subscribe to Neighboring 101 with a one-time fee of $50 which gives you access to all past classes and calendar reminders of upcoming sessions. You can see our video with Aaron on YouTube . Aaron is the creator of the U.S. Chamber of Connection , an organization devoted to strengthening relationships and rebuilding the social fabric of America. Their work focuses on one of the defining challenges of our time: the growing epidemic of loneliness, isolation, and disconnection that is impacting neighborhoods, workplaces, civic life, and even our personal health. For many people, loneliness is no longer just an individual s...

  Thus recent Gallup study provides one of the strongest pieces of evidence I have seen in recent years for why Missouri Good Neighbor Week should continue to focus on celebrating, recognizing, and making acts of neighboring visible. The survey suggests that kindness is not simply something people do; it is something people learn and repeat after seeing it modeled by others . Key Findings from the Gallup Study The survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults found that: 60% of Americans say they often or very often see people treating others with kindness and respect.  65% say they personally experienced an act of kindness from someone in their community within the past week. People who experience kindness are significantly more likely to feel comfortable initiating kindness toward strangers themselves. Nearly 8 in 10 people who frequently received kindness said they were very comfortable extending kindness to others. Americans who regularly witness kindness are much more likely to...