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 ...

  This weekend I read a commencement speech by David Bahnsen and it made me consider how the same insights impact a neighborhood or a community. Most neighborhoods are not transformed by large grants, major developments, or government programs. They are shaped every day by ordinary people making ordinary choices. Over time, those choices tend to fall into one of two categories: building or destroying. The difference is not always dramatic. Builders are not necessarily wealthy, influential, or elected to leadership positions. Destroyers are not always villains. In fact, many people move between the two categories without realizing it. The question is simple: Are our actions adding something valuable to the community, or are they taking something away? Builders create connection.  They learn names. They welcome new residents. They introduce neighbors to one another. They organize gatherings, share information, and help people feel that they belong. Destroyers create division....

A recent article from the research organization More in Common explored a troubling reality: many men have very few people they can call when life gets difficult. Some men reported having no one at all. Others could name only a spouse or family member. The article highlights what many researchers have been documenting for years: a growing crisis of male friendship and social connection . As I read the article, I could not help but think about neighborhoods. For years, neighboring advocates have focused on reducing loneliness, increasing belonging, and helping people build stronger local connections. While those efforts benefit everyone, the research suggests there may be a special opportunity (and need) to engage men. Many men do not build friendships the same way women often do. Research has found that men frequently connect through shared activities, common projects, and experiences rather than lengthy emotional conversations. In other words, men often talk shoulder-to-shoulder rat...

I think it is time we admit that communication tools rarely fix culture problems. People often assume that if participation is low, the answer is better technology. They need a new website. They need a Facebook page. They need an app. They need a newsletter. They need more followers. They need a better communication strategy. Sometimes that is true. But often the technology is simply revealing what already exists beneath the surface. If a neighborhood's social media page is dominated by complaints, arguments, accusations, and negativity, outsiders quickly learn something about the culture of that group. They learn that joining may not be enjoyable. They learn that volunteering may mean stepping into conflict. They learn that their ideas may be criticized more than celebrated. Every social media page tells a story. The question is: what story are you telling? When prospective members visit your page, do they see neighbors working together? Do they see community events, suc...

  Older adults are often described as “offline,” but the reality is more complicated. Many seniors do use technology, but others may struggle with cost, confidence, physical limitations, or preferences. The key is not choosing technology *or* personal relationships. It is using both wisely. Encourage low-tech neighboring. A phone call, handwritten note, porch visit, or regular check-in often means more than an app. Many older adults value consistency and personal attention over digital communication. Create neighborhood contact networks. Block captains, neighborhood associations, or volunteer teams can organize simple systems for checking on older residents during storms, illness, or extreme heat. Use “bridge people.” Grandchildren, neighbors, caregivers, librarians, and volunteers can help older adults access technology when needed while still maintaining personal relationships. Meet people where they already gather. Senior centers, churches, coffee shops, meal programs, barber...

A recent article from Axios highlighted a troubling trend in American life: fewer people are talking to their neighbors than ever before. The article, based on new research from the American Enterprise Institute , found that only 41 percent of Americans now speak with neighbors a few times a week, down from 59 percent in 2012. The decline is even sharper among young adults. In 2012, just over half of Americans ages 18–29 regularly engaged with neighbors. Today, that number has fallen to only 25 percent. Those numbers should stop us in our tracks. For years, many of us assumed neighboring was simply part of American culture. We believed neighborhoods naturally created connection. But modern life is teaching us something different: neighboring no longer happens automatically. The Axios article points to several reasons for the decline. Technology allows people to stay entertained, informed, and connected without ever leaving their homes. Streaming services, food delivery, remote work, ...

For generations, Americans have liked to believe we are a nation of good neighbors. We tell stories about borrowing sugar across the fence, keeping an eye on one another’s homes, and gathering on front porches after dinner. Many people still assume those habits are alive and well. But recent research suggests something deeper is happening beneath the surface: the idea of neighboring is quietly fading from everyday American life.  A recent article from the American Enterprise Institute examined new survey findings showing that Americans increasingly define being a “good neighbor” not by engagement, but by distance. In other words, many people now believe the best neighbors are quiet, private, and uninvolved. Younger adults especially tend to see neighboring less as relationship-building and more as respectful separation.  That should concern us. Privacy is important. Boundaries matter. No one wants neighbors who are intrusive or disrespectful. But when neighboring becomes litt...