The future of neighboring will not arrive through a national campaign or a perfect plan. It will arrive quietly, the same way it always has—one street at a time. A conversation begins. A name is remembered. A neighbor is noticed. Over time, those small moments accumulate into something powerful: a culture where people no longer live beside one another as strangers, but as neighbors who recognize that the health of their community begins right outside their front door. I believe that Missouri can lead the way, especially with the following plan for Missouri Good Neighbor Week . Mission, Vision and More Vision: Make Missouri the most neighborly state in America. Mission: I nspire and equip Missourians to build connection, belonging, and trust through intentional acts of neighboring and then to celebrate those successes. Objectives by 2028 Missouri Good Neighbor Week (MGNW) aims to achieve the following outcomes: Grow MGNW into Missouri’s premier civic-engagement campaign , recogni...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missourians once again demonstrated the power of neighborliness during Missouri Good Neighbor Week (Sept. 28–Oct. 4, 2025), an annual statewide celebration of everyday kindness and connection coordinated by University of Missouri Extension and supported by The Hopeful Neighborhood Project. According to the official report, 42,134 acts of neighborliness were documented this week through 433 different neighboring actions, pledges, campaigns, and proclamations — making this Missouri’s largest civic engagement event focused on building stronger communities. Widespread Participation Reports were submitted from 110 cities and 86 counties, showing that the movement to “know, love, and serve your neighbors” has taken deep root across both urban and rural Missouri. Participants ranged from large cities like Springfield, Kansas City, and Manchester to smaller communities like Cardwell, Hume and Fremont Hills. In addition to acts of kindness and block gatherings, more than 100 ...