Meet Most Engaged Neighbor Award Winners Greg and Suzanne Smith of Manchester, Mo

Missouri Good Neighbor Week (online at http://missourigoodneighborweek.com) encourages neighboring acts between Sept. 28 and Oct. 4 and recognizes people nominated by others as the "most engaged neighbors" in Missouri.

Greg and Suzanne Smith of Manchester, Missouri, were nominated in 2023 and were recognized as one of the Top 10 nominations for the year. All nominees receive a gift and a letter letting them know they have been nominated. However, the top 10 nominations receive an award certificate, a prize check, and media recognition.

Greg has been a longtime trustee for his Neighborhood Homeowners Association. More importantly, he and his wife, Suzanne, put up 100,000 Christmas lights for the neighborhood every year during the holiday season. 

Their nominator mentioned the lights and their service, but more importantly, the attitude in which it is done.

"The Smiths have really big hearts, and they often do acts for people in the neighborhood with total anonymity. As a trustee, Greg has been tireless in taking care of the neighborhood and taking on tasks that are sometimes laborious or unpleasant," wrote the nominator. "Greg also brings diplomacy, wisdom, and care to his role and is appreciated for his careful stewardship of our resources."

INNOCENT START

As is often the case, the light display started innocent enough: with lights on their house and the challenge of putting lights on a tree standing in the common ground on the other side of their fence.

"We got to the tree, and then you say, 'Well, I could get to that next tree, and the next tree,' and fast forward three years, we are up over a hundred and something trees, and probably close to 100,000 lights," said Greg.

In those early days, Suzanne would put the kids to bed and dry her hair, and Greg would get the call that Christmas lights, combined with the hair dryer, knocked all the power out to the circuits. 

"Next thing you know, I got electricians coming in, bringing dedicated circuits and things like that. It just took on a life of its own," said Greg.

They both admit that a display this large can feel like a heavy lift at times. 

"We start putting them together the weekend after Halloween to prepare it by Thanksgiving. There's over a mile of extension cords," said Greg.

There have been times in January when he has been taking the lights down, and he wonders if the display has run its course.

"Almost always, when you get that thought in your mind, somebody comes up and says how much they enjoy it. At the end of the day, what you're looking for is bringing brightness to someone's holiday," said Greg.

ALWAYS LEARNING

One of the tenets of being an Engaged Neighbor is continually learning about neighboring and asset-based community development. Greg says one of his biggest lessons has been the advantages of using modern LED lights.

"We could never do what we're doing today back in the old days. The LED lights are just very energy efficient, saving electricity," said Greg. "Back in the early days, 5 to 10 trees on the same circuit would cause problems."

He admits that he has also learned some valuable lessons as a trustee.

"When I first started as a trustee, someone would complain about a homeowner not trimming bushes or mowing grass, and my first impulse was to turn them in for enforcement," said Greg. But when neighbors call, now I ask, 'Have you talked to your neighbor? Maybe they have something going on and could use a helping hand.'

Instead of always taking a punitive approach, Greg says we can listen and see if there's a back story, and we can also have empathy and perspective.

"We've had situations where we find out that the person with a violation has an illness, and we have been able to help them," said Greg. 

LEARNING SERVICE BY EXAMPLE

When Greg and Suzanne moved to their neighborhood 27 years ago, they were looking for a house and a nice yard. But somewhere along the way, Greg was recruited to be a neighborhood trustee.

"I think like most subdivision associations, it wasn't something I had to run for to get elected. It was something they needed somebody to do," said Greg.

He learned about community service through the example of his father.

"My father grew up on a farm. In his world you had a skill to do something, and if someone needed that skill, you did it. His expectation was that you serve people," said Greg.

Serving as a trustee can have moments where it is a headache. But Greg says overall, it is more good than bad.

"But if somebody stepped up and had a lot of passion for it, and a lot of ideas, and wanted to do it, tomorrow I would be fine with it. If I kept doing it, I would be fine with that as well," said Greg.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Missouri Good Neighbor Week was signed by Governor Parsons in 2022 and runs Sept. 28 to Oct. 4. Nominations are accepted all year on the website (missourigoodneighborweek.com) for recognition of Missouri's most engaged neighbors. Every person nominated receives a memento and a letter letting them know they have been nominated. In celebration of the week, the goal is to have Missourians document 20,000 acts of service for neighbors each year during Missouri Good Neighbor Week.

MORE INFORMATION

Does this article make you interested in taking the Engaged Neighbor pledge? Five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge online at http://engagedneighbor.com.

Contact the blog author, David L. Burton at dburton541@yahoo.com.