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...

Culture is like a big ship—it doesn’t turn quickly. You can’t just yank the wheel and expect an instant change of course. It takes time, teamwork, and a clear destination. The same is true for our American culture and the way we think about neighboring. For several decades now we’ve been taught—quietly but consistently—that being a  good neighbor  means minding your own business. A good neighbor, we were told, keeps their yard tidy, pays their taxes, and doesn’t bother anyone. That definition fit well with the rise of privacy fences, garage door openers, and a lifestyle designed for independence. We learned to wave politely and then retreat indoors. But as we’ve drifted along with that cultural current, something important has been lost. We have fewer conversations across the fence, fewer shared meals, and fewer friendships close to home. Loneliness, disconnection, and division have taken root in the quiet spaces where community once grew. Changing that idea of what it means t...

In a world that rewards busyness and constant motion, courage might not seem like the first trait that comes to mind when we talk about being a good neighbor. But courage is at the very heart of neighboring. Not the kind of courage that earns medals or headlines or discovers new worlds like Columbus did —but the quiet, consistent strength to show up, slow down, and make space for the people around you. When we talk about becoming an Engaged Neighbor , we pledge to build connections intentionally, apply leadership skills right where we live, and grow our social capital through neighborhood relationships. Those ideas come to life through five REACH principles, and the fourth one— Courage —may be the hardest to practice in our everyday lives. Courage to Be Available The first act of courage is to discard a lifestyle of busyness. In many ways, busyness has become our society’s most accepted form of isolation. We fill every square on the calendar and call it productivity, but the cost is av...

Feed the Need Volunteers: Manchester residents packaged meals during the “Feed the Need” event, showing that service projects strengthen community bonds while helping those in need. The City of Manchester has steadily cultivated a “neighboring culture” in recent years, and now that spirit is visible across a range of programs leading into Missouri Good Neighbor Week.  What began in 2021 when Alderwoman Megan Huether first explored the idea of neighboring has grown into a movement that is shaping civic life. “As a newly elected city council member, I was looking for ways to connect people and strengthen neighborhoods,” Huether recalled. “When I discovered the concept of neighboring, it clicked immediately—this was the path to building belonging in Manchester.” That spark has grown into something much larger.  “Over the past 18 months, we’ve launched and expanded several initiatives and events, many of which tie directly to Good Neighbor Week’s mission,” said Lisa Wigger, Commun...