Twenty Missouri residents have been honored as the state’s Most Engaged Neighbors for 2025. These awards highlight everyday Missourians whose commitment to their neighborhoods strengthens community bonds and creates belonging across the state. The recognition is part of Missouri Good Neighbor Week, celebrated annually from September 28 to October 4. This initiative is led by University of Missouri Extension and The Hopeful Neighborhood Project to encourage acts of neighboring and celebrate those who make a difference where they live. This year there were 138 nominations from across the state – a new record. Every nominee receives a letter letting them know that someone appreciated them enough to nominate them and a memento of the week and nomination. Those selected as the Most Engaged Neighbors receive a printed certificate and a prize check for $100. About the Selection Process This year’s nominations came from across Missouri, with dozens of stories submitted by grateful neighbors. ...

We often assume a city gets better when it adds things—another streetscape, a new brewery, a splashy event.  Urbanist Jeff Siegler argues the opposite: places get better when people get closer. If residents aren’t connected to one another, no amount of concrete or branding will make a town feel like home. People fight for the places where they know and are known; indifference grows where relationships are thin. Siegler’s core point is wonderfully plain: community isn’t an app, a slogan, or a construction project. It’s a lived experience that emerges in welcoming public spaces and low-friction social rituals. We don’t build community in our cars or behind our fences; we build it where neighbors can linger, talk, and create small traditions—on sidewalks, at parks, in front yards, and in storefronts that feel like living rooms. Design matters, but design serves a larger end: giving people reasons and opportunities to connect. That’s why neighbor relationships are not a “soft” add-o...

Pictured here is Carl Singer with a musical instrument that he decorated. Loneliness and isolation are often described as silent epidemics, particularly in small towns and rural communities where access to resources can be limited. Thanks to new Community Foundation of the Ozarks grants, four innovative programs are stepping forward with creative ways to bring people together—through music, history, family support, and youth empowerment. The Miracle of Music: Carl Singer and SingerHill Music & Arts, Inc. Carl Singer believes that music has the power to heal hearts and spark joy across generations. With a  $11,640 grant , SingerHill Music & Arts will expand its  Miracle of Music  home concert series to nursing homes and schools in Dade and Barton counties. For older adults, who often struggle with isolation in long-term care settings, these monthly concerts offer more than entertainment—they create shared experiences and remind residents that they are not forgotten...

Since President Jimmy Carter officially proclaimed National Good Neighbor Day in 1979, the holiday has served as a reminder of the importance of community, kindness, and connection. Initially established to encourage Americans to appreciate and recognize the good neighbors in their lives, the celebration has evolved in unique and creative ways across the United States.  Now, there is a coalition of leaders in the neighboring movement, led by Jennifer Prophete, that are working to take National Good Neighbor Day to the next level. As part of that growth, let's consider some of what has been done in the past. Over the decades, communities have embraced this day with heartfelt, imaginative, and often surprising gestures that highlight the spirit of neighborliness. One of the most enduring and widespread traditions has been the organization of neighborhood block parties. Cities like Minneapolis, Minnesota, have led the way in transforming National Good Neighbor Day into a large-sca...

  SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The statewide recognition of Missouri’s "Most Engaged Neighbor" as part of Missouri Good Neighbor Week (Sept. 28 to Oct. 4) is accepting nominations now at http://missourigoodneighborweek.com . This statewide award has been been presented since 2022. But starting in 2024, the nomination link has been open from mid-February to October 1 (to collect more nominations) not just during Missouri Good Neighbor Week.    Every person nominated is acknowledged with an official letter and keepsake memento. Those selected as the ten "Most Engaged Neighbors" in Missouri will be announced and recognized during Missouri Good Neighbor Week (Sept. 28 - Oct. 4). Most years, thanks to sponsors, we have been able to recognize more than ten. PROGRAM HISTORY “We heard from participants and nominators in 2023 that Missouri Good Neighbor Week came and went, and they did not get nominations submitted. So, instead of creating a barrier to nominations, we opened the proce...

  " Putting Community Out Front: An Interview with John Brothers " (Insights for Change, March 24, 2025), contains key takeaways tailored for neighborhood leaders. John Brothers, who stepped down in February 2025 from his nearly ten‑year role leading T. Rowe Price’s philanthropic arms, offers a powerful, analogy-rich vision of how philanthropy can—and should—support communities from behind the scenes. His insights provide an essential guide for neighborhood leaders aiming to foster authentic, community-led progress. 1. Philanthropy as Block-and-Tackle Support Brothers likens philanthropy to his experience as a college football center: “not the quarterback” but the one who blocks and tackles so others can shine. He insists, “If I’m successful, you’ll never see me—you’ll see them.” Philanthropy’s purpose, he explains, is to empower communities—not to lead them. For neighborhood leaders, this metaphor underscores the importance of visibility—not for funders or outsiders, but fo...

CBS correspondent Steve Hartman recently (September 2025) featured a 9-year-old boy who set up a stand in his neighborhood in his " On the Road " segment. But this boy, instead of selling lemonade, he gave away something even sweeter: free compliments. From behind a simple table, he greeted strangers, noticed something about them, and offered a kind word. “Nice smile,” “I like your shoes,” “You have a great laugh.” Small gestures, but the reactions were anything but small. People walked away smiling, lighter, connected. The brilliance of the idea lies in its simplicity. It doesn’t cost a dime, requires no special training, and yet it has the power to shift someone’s entire day. A compliment acknowledges that we’ve been seen, that we matter. In a world where so many feel overlooked or invisible, that recognition is powerful. Could something like this work in our own community? I think so. Imagine a “compliment booth” at a farmers market, a school event, or even outside t...