Impact of a Neighborhood Reunion

 

Missouri Good Neighbor Week 2022 generated hundreds of exciting stories about how individuals connected as neighbors in some amazing and sustainable ways.

One of my favorites in Southwest Missouri comes from Echo Alexander, a resident of rural Highlandville. I first mentioned Echo in an article I wrote about neighbors and emergency response. Her first neighbor gathering resulted in a neighbor directory that got used a week later in response to a neighbor's home fire. (True story).

But here is Echo's own story following the excitement of her 2022 "neighborhood reunion" as part of Missouri Good Neighbor Week.

Sharing a quick story and photo from our great success in Missouri Good Neighbor Week.

We hosted our second "Neighbors Reunion" down in Craig Hollow, a rural valley that covers small corners of Ozark, Nixa, and Highlandville within a few connected roads!

The momentum that we created at our first event in April when I went door to door and invited people to our home for a cookout became contagious!  The photo below is of my dear neighbor Sonja who so loved what we did that she and her husband Randy offered to host our second Craig Hollow gathering on 10/3.  She also went with me door to door to meet and invite even more people in our hollow.

Armed with a map and a heart to be good neighbors, we set out and had great success together.  Sonja's family has a long history on their land and so many of the long standing neighbors from the area knew members of her family.  It was great to introduce ourselves and for them to start making the connections of how the families were interconnected.

Our second event was another great success with the exact same number of people attending at 32, but many new faces!

We took this photo of a bouquet of flowers that I grew in my garden and gifted to Sonja at the event.  It was the full circle symbol of our friendship as neighbors.  She had given me starts of several of these flowers, had driven us to garden events and plant sales, and encouraged me in my first garden since moving to the Ozarks in 2021.  To now have these big beautiful flowers to share back with her was very special.  I look forward to many years ahead of friendship and neighboring with Sonja and so many others in our Craig Hollow. 

Start making plans now for how you are going to connect with neighbors over the holidays, and in the Spring, and during the summer, and for Missouri Good Neighbor Week 2023. Do not let the momentum die. And if you need encouragement, use Echo's great example!