At a time when political arguments fill our screens and loneliness grips entire neighborhoods, Tim Jones has a radical remedy: set a longer table.  As the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Longer Tables, Jones has spent the last decade reclaiming the table as a place of connection, storytelling, and human belonging. I met Jones for the first time in 2023. But when I heard about his plan for a mile-long table in Denver on July 26, I bought a ticket—and then began thinking how we might do something similar during Missouri Good Neighbor Week. The Mile Long Table—a 5,280-foot table (symbolic of Denver’s altitude) – this year seated 3,650 people for a communal meal.  From Tacos to Transformation “I half-joke that I believe tacos could save the world,” began Jones. But behind the humor is a deep truth—food is universally human, and the table is a place where everyone belongs. “I have a hard time thinking of a place that feels like home, no matter where you grew up, how...

  In a time when communities across the United States are grappling with disconnection, Tim Jones offers a simple but profound remedy: set a longer table. As the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Longer Tables, Jones has spent the last decade reclaiming the table as a place of connection, storytelling, and human belonging. His appearance on Session 65 of Neighboring 101—hosted by David Burton of the University of Missouri Extension—was a masterclass in how to spark community transformation by gathering people around food and conversation. Through his story-driven approach, Jones has helped thousands of people experience what happens when strangers become neighbors over a shared meal. From Tacos to Transformation Jones’ opening line sets the tone for his disarming philosophy: “I half-joke that I believe tacos could save the world.” But behind the humor is a deep truth—food is universally human, and the table is a place where everyone belongs. “I have a hard time thinki...