I have spent a surprising amount of time lately thinking about Jenga blocks. Not because I have suddenly become competitive at family game night, but because I have been developing an educational activity called Social Capital Jenga: Building, Breaking, and Restoring Neighborhoods . And to be honest, because I had 108 blocks to paint (both ends in assorted colors). The idea is simple. A Jenga tower represents a neighborhood. The individual blocks represent things that contribute to community strength—trust, economic development, neighborhood safety, the environment and personal health. Other blocks represent pressures on a community, including individualism, greed, mobility and scarcity. Then there are cards describing things that happen in real neighborhoods. Depending on what happens, players may remove a block, add a stress block, return a block or leave the tower unchanged. Eventually, of course, the neighborhood falls. That is where the lesson begins. Communities Rarely Coll...

  We talk a lot about the importance of gathering with other people. We encourage neighbors to share meals, meet for coffee, attend community events, take walks, or simply spend more time together. But every gathering has to begin somewhere. Usually, it begins with an invitation. And that invitation can be harder than it sounds. We hesitate because we don't want to impose. We worry the other person might say no. We convince ourselves they are probably busy. Sometimes we settle for a vague, "We should get together sometime," which sounds friendly but rarely results in anything actually happening. There is an art to a good invitation, but it isn't complicated. In fact, some of the best invitations have five simple characteristics. 1. Invite a Specific Person Good invitations are personal. Instead of sending a broad message and hoping someone responds, think of one particular person. A neighbor. A coworker. Someone you met recently. Someone you've been meaning to get...

  What if one of the best tools for building stronger neighborhoods isn't a big event, a new program or even a community meeting? What if it is a good story? That idea will be at the heart of the next Neighboring 101 session on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 12 noon Central , when we welcome Dawn Arrington for Session 88 of our ongoing conversation about the art and skill of neighboring. Dawn understands that stories do more than entertain us. They help us see ourselves, understand others and discover what we have in common. In 2018, she founded Comics at the Corner , a literacy nonprofit that uses culturally relevant comic books to promote reading in traditionally underinvested communities. Through pop-up book fairs, reading nooks in local businesses and other creative approaches, Dawn uses storytelling to create opportunities for connection while helping young people discover the joy of reading. Her work is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: people deserve to see themselve...

  We often talk about neighboring as something we do for other people. Take cookies to the new family down the street. Check on the older adult living alone. Help someone carry groceries. Invite a neighbor over for coffee. Stop long enough to have a conversation instead of simply waving as we drive past. But what if these simple acts aren't just good for our neighbors? What if neighboring is also good for us? An article in RELEVANT Magazine, "Science: Loving Your Neighbor Is Literally Good for Your Brain," highlights a growing body of research showing that kindness and generosity can produce measurable benefits for our brains, bodies and relationships. The implications for how we think about neighboring are significant. Kindness Changes the Giver One of the most interesting studies highlighted in the article compared three approaches intended to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety: enjoyable activities, cognitive reappraisal—challenging negative thoughts—and intent...

  Across Missouri, communities are searching for ways to address rising loneliness, social isolation, and the growing sense that many people no longer feel connected to the places where they live. While many efforts focus on responding to these problems after they emerge, Missouri Good Neighbor Week represents something different: an upstream approach that works to prevent social disconnection before it becomes a crisis. Missouri Good Neighbor Week, observed annually from September 28 through October 4, encourages residents to connect with their neighbors through simple acts of kindness, neighborhood gatherings, and community engagement. The initiative was established by state law in 2022 based on a straightforward but powerful idea: when people know their neighbors, communities become stronger, safer, and healthier. What Does “Upstream” Mean? In public health and community development, an upstream approach focuses on addressing root causes rather than symptoms. Imagine standing be...

As America approaches its 250th birthday, many people are asking what kind of nation we want to become. Some are looking backward. Others are focused on the next election cycle. I find myself thinking further ahead. What is our dream for America at 300? What do we hope this country looks like when future generations celebrate the tricentennial in 2076? I won't be alive then, but I do still remember 1976! My answer to the question about America 300 may seem surprisingly simple:  I hope Americans know their neighbors. I hope children grow up on streets where adults know their names. I hope neighborhoods are filled with front porches, conversations, block gatherings, and acts of everyday kindness. I hope loneliness is less common because people have rediscovered the power of local relationships. I hope we become a nation where neighboring is not viewed as an unusual activity but as a normal part of citizenship. For years, I have studied neighboring and community connection. Again and ...