One of my favorite parts of my work with neighboring is reading the stories people submit from across Missouri. Statistics can tell us whether people know their neighbors. Research can document loneliness and social isolation. Surveys can measure our sense of belonging. But stories show us what neighboring actually looks like. As of August 26, 2026, I have had four Missourians send me some good ones to share as a way to inspire action ( and reporting ) for Missouri Good Neighbor Week. Waynesville, Missouri Along Interstate 44 In Waynesville, a group of about 40 travelers from the Netherlands arrived while making their way along Route 66 to Amarillo in a solar-powered car. They needed somewhere to rest, camp and recharge before continuing their journey. A City of Waynesville employee, Nathan Carmon, and his wife, Melony, opened their property to them. Think about that. Forty strangers from another country showed up in town, and someone essentially said, "You can stay with us....

  The new Missouri Good Neighbor Week Ambassador Program is for people who believe stronger communities begin with stronger relationships between neighbors. When you register as an Ambassador , you'll gain access to our new online Ambassador Portal , designed to make it quick and easy to report your acts of neighboring throughout the year and help us tell the story of neighboring across Missouri. Ambassador Benefits As a Missouri Good Neighbor Week Ambassador, you'll receive: Easy year-round reporting through our new Ambassador Portal. Free access to neighborhood training videos with practical ideas for building connection, belonging and trust where you live. Early notice of special events and opportunities happening across Missouri. Access to special Ambassador events and opportunities throughout the year. The opportunity to be part of a growing statewide movement making neighboring visible, celebrated and contagious. What We Ask of Ambassadors Being an Ambassador is simp...