We Are Neighbors

  Back in August, I read an article in the  Sikeston  newspaper about a plan students in Leadership  Sikeston  had developed to celebrate Sikeston Good Neighbor Week.  My first thought was: they have a wonderful plan, but the wrong week!  Back in 2022, the Governor signed a bill creating Missouri Good Neighbor Week (Sept. 28 - Oct. 4).   But when I reached out to organizers, I discovered they had a very good reason to designate Sept. 23-27 as Sikeston Good Neighbor Week. "We were aware of Missouri Good Neighbor Week and of the dates. However, it was the wrong week for us in Sikeston, said David Jenkins, communications manager for the City of Sikeston. "That week is homecoming week for our high school and the Leadership  Sikeston  group decided in order to have better participation to move the week up. Our week also coincides with a previously scheduled suicide awareness walk that we are promoting as part of our Mental Health Awareness Day. We felt it was still in the spirit

I showed the documentary "Join or Die," which focuses on the work of Robert Putman and the importance of social capital in the health and welfare of our communities and nation, at the Republic Library on Sept. 28.  The movie is a call to "join" in your community. You might want to join a club or volunteer with an organization, or become an active member of a local faith community.  In anticipation of the screening I researched how and where to "join" in Republic and one finding is that we have a club shortage.  But Republic does have these clubs that could use you as a member. Republic has a Kiwanis Club that meets the fourth Thursday of each month at 12 noon at Arris Pizza. Kiwanis clubs and members conduct service projects and hold fundraisers to support the Kiwanis Children’s Fund. Worldwide in 2023, Kiwanis gave 12 million service hours and more than $107 million.  The Republic Historical Society maintains a museum located at 146 N. Main Street.  The m