Nobody Starts Ready: How Ordinary People Make a Real Difference Where They Live by C. L. Huckaby is a practical and encouraging book focused on community engagement. Rather than celebrating famous changemakers or extraordinary leaders, Huckaby reminds us that meaningful change is almost always started by ordinary people who simply decide to take the first step. The central message is both refreshing and liberating: you do not have to feel ready before you begin.  Plus, she profiles me in the book.  What makes this book especially compelling is its reliance on real stories. Huckaby draws from interviews with community leaders, volunteers, city officials, nonprofit professionals, and everyday residents from across North America to demonstrate that civic leadership is rarely planned. Again and again, readers see people who stumbled into opportunities, learned as they went, and gradually discovered their ability to make a difference. These stories feel authentic because they are ...

Sometimes a national conversation confirms something you've suspected all along. I recently listened to an NPR interview titled The Safety and Power of Knowing Your Neighbors . While the discussion covered everything from loneliness to neighborhood gatherings, two guests in particular stood out to me.  Marc Dunkelman, author of The Vanishing Neighbor , and community builder Sam Pressler offered insights that should matter to anyone who cares about stronger neighborhoods. Their observations did not feel abstract or academic. They described many of the same changes I have seen across Missouri and the same opportunities that continue to emerge when ordinary people choose to become engaged neighbors. Perhaps the biggest lesson is this:  Neighboring did not disappear by accident. It slowly changed as our culture changed. Dunkelman explained that earlier generations generally assumed they would know the people living nearby. Somewhere during the late twentieth century our definition...

One of the greatest challenges facing neighborhoods today is not that we disagree. It is that we have forgotten how to stay in conversation with one another. A new report from the Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) offers an important lesson for anyone who cares about building stronger neighborhoods.  How to Talk Bridgey 2.0 isn't really about politics. At its heart, it is about communication. It explores how certain words invite people into conversation while other words unintentionally push people away. The report argues that thoughtful language helps people remain connected even when they see the world differently. That idea fits perfectly with what I have learned from studying neighboring over the past decade. Healthy neighborhoods are not built because everyone agrees. They are built because people choose to keep talking. Neighboring Is About Building Bridges, Not Winning Arguments One of the report's strongest messages is that "talking bridgey" do...

  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is often remembered for its familiar carol refrain, but its deeper power lies in the tension it refuses to ignore. Written during the Civil War, after Longfellow’s own life had been marked by grief and loss, the poem does not begin with naïve cheer. It begins with bells ringing out a message that feels almost impossible to believe: “Peace on earth, good will to men.” Longfellow immediately names the disconnect many of us still feel today. He describes a world “blackened, cursed by hate,” where violence and injustice seem to mock the promise of peace. This honesty is part of what makes the poem enduring. It does not deny the brokenness of the world or the reality of division. Instead, it gives voice to the despair we feel when headlines, social media, or even neighborhood conflicts suggest that goodwill has gone silent. But the poem does not end there. The bells keep ringing. That persistence matters. The bell...

  Photo by Jym Wilson in the Springfield Daily Citizen There’s a verse tucked away in Jeremiah that feels especially timely for the world we’re living in today. The prophet writes, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” That line was spoken to people who felt displaced, frustrated, and far from home. In other words, to people a lot like us. The Israelites weren’t exactly thrilled about Babylon. It wasn’t where they wanted to be, and it certainly wasn’t what they had planned. Yet God didn’t tell them to withdraw, complain endlessly, or sit on the sidelines waiting for things to improve. Instead, He told them to get involved. Plant gardens. Build homes. Pray for the city. Care about the place you’re in, even if it’s not the place you’d choose. That message still rings true. It’s easy these days to criticize our communities—from school boards to city councils, from neighbor...

  Photo description: SGF Kickball representatives receive their national award from four members of the Neighborhoods USA Board of Directors. Pictured left to right are  Reba Taylor-Hill of Indianapolis, Indiana, Precious McKesson of Omaha, Nebraska; Michael Brittan, Ed Goeke, Keno Wong of Nassau, Bahamas, and Dwight Pridgeon of Little Rock, Arkansas. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Michael Brittian and Ed Goeke returned to Springfield from the 50th annual conference of Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) in Jacksonville, Florida, May 20-23, 2025, with the coveted Best Neighborhood Program award in the Social Revitalization category. This year's conference had registered 525 attendees from 36 states and featured educational workshops, speakers, tours, networking, and an awards program. The NUSA awards process began with submitting applications in March. Applications were then scored, and those selected as national finalists were alerted and asked to make a 15-minute presentation at the national...

  In the past, American cities were more than just places to live; they were communities where residents felt a deep sense of belonging. However, as cities became more focused on service delivery and measurable outcomes, the idea of civic membership declined. The City Membership Campaign aims to restore this sense of belonging by encouraging residents to engage with their neighborhoods, local organizations, and city governance.  This initiative (from Sam Pressler and Pete Davis) fosters a culture where people feel responsible for the well-being of their communities, leading to stronger connections, better local services, and increased civic participation. The Role of Neighborhoods Neighborhoods are at the heart of city membership efforts. Strong neighborhoods create strong cities, as they serve as the foundation for civic engagement and community building. The campaign envisions neighborhoods as hubs for local activities, mutual support, and communication between residents an...