We Are Neighbors

  In a world of outrageous and silly Internet challenges, it is nice to see one challenge spreading kindness among neighbors and encouraging a work ethic in youth. The challenge is called the 50-Yard Challenge. The group behind the 50-Yard Challenge is Raising Men and Women Lawn Care Service. The Alabama-based non-profit encourages boys and girls nationwide to offer free lawn mowing to people who are disabled, veterans, elderly, and single moms. The challenge is open to boys & girls anywhere in the United States, ages 8-17. Currently, no youth in the Springfield metro area signed up for the program. I hope this article changes that because this outreach benefits neighbors and rewards youth for their efforts! GETTING STARTED If a child accepts the challenge, they must send the non-profit a picture of them holding a sign saying, “I accept the 50 Yard Challenge.” In return, the organization will send the child a shirt, safety glasses, and ear protection. As participating

Questions: What are the conditions for creating a life where humans can flourish? Answer: Human connections. According to researchers, one of the reasons we have seen higher levels of distrust over the past 30 years, along with increased levels of loneliness, anxiety, burnout, and depression, is the absence of human connection that neighbors can provide. One of the explanations is the growth in technology. Technology increases our independence and ability to do things without relying on others. For example, if I have a smartphone, I don't have to attend a meeting in person or physically go to the library to find information. These are both past activities that required social interaction. The smartphone allows me to do these things on my own. If you add up all the new kinds of technology, we're having this rapid rate of change and an explosion of freedom or independence. At the same time, human adaptability does not change. We are still social animals. Our brains are,

  If you have ever had a new family move in near your home, you have had an opportunity to give them a welcome kit or welcome basket of some type. Do not miss the opportunity to welcome a new neighbor! I recently heard from a family that moved and was not welcomed by their neighbors. So they created plates of cookies and contract sheets and went and introduced themselves to their new neighbors. I love their heart and example, but I would hope that example of neighbor apathy would rarely happen. Even when you put together a welcome packet or gift basket for a new neighbor, there is still the question of what to include. Let me suggest some low-cost ideas that say, “I am glad to have you as a new neighbor.”: 1. A dessert from your favorite bakery If you live in the area, you likely know where the best items can be found. Use this basket to showcase a wonderful local treat and include a menu from the business.  2. A local trail map  No matter where you live, hiking trails are likely withi

  "Good fences make good neighbors" is a quote that is often misused.  The phrase is normally used to justify building a fence and keeping neighbors at arm's length. But that was not the author’s recommendation.  In Robert Frost’s 1914 poem, “Mending Wall,” the writer describes two neighbors working together to repair a fallen stone fence separating their properties.  One neighbor is keen to rebuild and repair the gap in the wall, while the other fails to see why it is needed in the first place. Of this, he writes: There where it is w,e do not need the wall: He is all pine and I am apple orchard. My apple trees will never get across And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him. The neighbor’s repeated response is, "Good fences make good neighbors.”  The author intends the statement to be an indictment against our culture’s collective failure to be hospitable and neighborly, where we only share a commitment to not sharing anything. Frost’s poem is a metaphor for the

  Michael Mather, is the author of "Having Nothing, Possessing Everything” and an advocate for asset-based community development (ABCD). Mather advocates for never doing something for someone in a community that they can do for themselves. "If we begin looking for people's gifts rather than people's needs, then even better things than we thought possible might materialize," Mather, former pastor at Broadway United Methodist Church located in an urban, low-income neighborhood of Indianapolis. If you want to improve a neighborhood, involve the people there. "I began my ministry seeing scarcity, seeing only the things that seemed to be missing in the neighborhoods where I pastored. What I learned from those neighborhoods was how to see the abundance," said Mather. The transformation began at the food pantry run at the church. "We stopped asking people about how poor they are and started asking about skills and interests instead," said M

  Getting to know your neighbors may be as easy as getting a picnic table, painting it turquoise, and creating a neighborhood gathering spot in your front yard. Sounds a bit crazy, but according to David Burton, a University of Missouri Extension community development specialist, the turquoise table movement that began in 2018 is still going strong nationwide. “The movement is intended to bring people together and turn neighbors into friends,” said Burton. “Our Greene County Extension Council is trying to expand the number of turquoise tables in our county this year with a pilot grant program in the Republic area.” Burton says he first learned of the movement when someone recommended a neighboring focused book titled, “The Turquoise Table: Finding Community and Connection in Your Own Front Yard.” “Turquoise Table” author Kristin Schell had moved and was desperate to slow down and build connections in her new community. Schell had an ordinary picnic table delivered to her hous