David Burton, community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension, returned from the Neighborhoods USA conference in Lubbock, Texas (held in May) excited about what he learned, new contacts made, and the success of some friends in the awards program. If you work in or with neighborhoods, plan to attend the NUSA conference in May of 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida! " This year, we had seven attendees from Missouri—two from Springfield! We adopted a few others as Missourians because they are in Neighboring 101," said Burton. "I hope the number of Missourians attending increases again next year." Winners at the 2024 Neighborhoods USA awards program included one group from Houston, Missouri, which Burton said was extremely exciting. But he was also excited about other first-place winners at NUSA. See the names, programs and links to more information below about this top award winners at Neighborhoods USA 2024. Neighborhood of the Year - Physical 1st- P...

  The first Show-Me Neighborhood Art Week is underway and you can participate by viewing any of the 73 great installations from around the state in person or online and then voting for your favorite as part of our awards program. The  MU Extension website  includes a map of art installations across the state and photos of those that have been submitted. This page also includes a link to the ballot where you can vote for your favorite. A file exists on Google drive of all the various submissions around the state and can be accessed here . University of Missouri Extension launched this statewide public art exhibit this year to promote creative expression and public art made by residents as a contribution to the community's sense of place and residents' sense of belonging. The initiative was inspired by LAWN (Lawn Art With Neighbors), a grassroots program launched in Springfield, Missouri, in 2020. LAWN aimed to empower public art made by the people, promoting Springfield's...

Have you noticed how online communication in comment sections of social media posts often slide into insults and arguing? Don’t believe me? Try this on a Republic Facebook page: post about the benefits of round-abouts, say our water and sewer rates are reasonable, or explain how sales taxes are fair and needed, and then watch the arguments break loss in the comments section. It is a sign that our relationships and our ability to communicate, especially online, is broken. It is also a sign that people still think they can "win" an online argument. News flash: you cannot and that should not be the goal.  When it comes to communication, our goal should be to understand and be understood rather than to win an argument. This is according to Charlies Duhigg, author of "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection." Humans have been speaking and writing to each other for thousands of years. We've developed norms and behaviors (tone and certain po...

Photo: David Burton (left) and Shari McCallister (right) in 2022. I lived through 41 National Good Neighbor Days (Sept. 28) before lifting a finger to help or celebrate a neighbor. In hindsight, this was a serious mistake. When I first learned about the holiday in 2018, it took me several days to decide what to do. I did not want to overcommit, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure if a small gesture would count. Could I celebrate a neighbor with a plate of cookies and a nice note, or did I need to throw a block party with food and a bounce house? That first year, I went with cookies and a handwritten note. I had considered delivering some fresh-cut flowers from my garden. But I could have also celebrated by making a phone call to each of my neighbors and providing encouragement! On my journey of discovery, Shari McCallister of Houston, Missouri, was one of the first people I met who took the celebration of National Good Neighbor Day seriously. Perhaps no one celebrates the big day with ...

Small decisions can lead to big changes. Many times this is a positive changes although I have seen negative examples, where people's negative choices become a slow fade into something bad. But in this case it is positive. Meet Justin Shaw. Justin is one of two council members for Ward 1 (my Ward) in Republic, Mo. Justin is also a graduate of Neighborhood Leadership Academy. He shared how efforts to make neighbor connections have impacted his life at a recent Republic City Council meeting. Read here how one simple decision, led to another, and then another, and then another, and another, and now he is serving on city council. This is the transcribed discuss and testimony from the Republic City Council meeting on Tuesday May 7, 2024. This confirms the difference that NLA can make in a person's life and in a community.  Council asked for an update on the neighboring project. They gave me five minutes. I had submitted a written report. When I was done, this happened: Mayor Frankli...

  Reciprocity means exchanging goods, services, or favors for mutual benefit. It is a behavior that lies at the heart of human interaction. In communities, reciprocity takes various forms. One form is called generalized reciprocity. Direct reciprocity involves immediate exchanges between two parties. But generalized reciprocity fosters a community's giving and receiving culture. Generalized reciprocity is key to community building and fostering social cohesion, trust, and resilience in a community. Generalized reciprocity, with its proactive nature, serves as a powerful catalyst for fostering social cohesion within communities. When individuals engage in acts of kindness and generosity without expecting immediate or direct reciprocation, it strengthens bonds and promotes a sense of belonging. In a community where generalized reciprocity prevails, members feel interconnected and valued, leading to stronger social ties and a shared sense of purpose. By actively nurturing a ...

  Special guest submission by: Suzanne Chisum, Ph.D.  Block Captain - 4100 Block of Potomac - St. Louis, Missouri Knowing my neighbors has brought me immense joy and enriched my life in countless ways. This week's block meeting highlighted the diverse and vibrant community we have, with the arrival of a new family from Vietnam, the exciting news of a baby girl on the way, and the bittersweet departure of a beloved neighbor.  This was in addition to the organization of a neighborhood yard sale and Cinco de Mayo Party.  One of our neighbors shared her work with a local organization that advocates for the people and families of people living in long-term care facilities. The new family from Vietnam brings a touch of international flavor to our block. Their warm smiles and eagerness to connect have created a welcoming atmosphere. Soon we hope to share stories about our different cultures and traditions and foster a sense of understanding and appreciation. Their presence ...

Forgiveness is a hot topic again. According to Google Books Ngram (which allows you to discover the use of a word in magazines and books in the United States over time), the word forgiveness peaked this past year, even beating the previous high from 1820.  Ironically, the use of the word hate is also at an all-time high and more than double that of the word forgiveness. But why the renewed interest in forgiveness? One explanation is the flippant use of the word and shallow forgiveness: we forgive loans, for example. Or perhaps it is because of the rise in hate. Another explanation is the renewed concern about mental health, and there is a direct correlation between the two. There have also been some high-profile examples of forgiveness that have given rise to books and movies. I think of Cornelia Ten Boom, who forgave her Nazi captors, or Louis Zamperini, whose life was detailed in the book "Unbroken," along with his journey to forgive his Japanese captors. But ask local resi...

Missouri Good Neighbor Week (online at http://missourigoodneighborweek.com) encourages neighboring acts between Sept. 28 and Oct. 4 and recognizes people nominated by others as the "most engaged neighbors" in Missouri. Greg and Suzanne Smith of Manchester, Missouri, were nominated in 2023 and were recognized as one of the Top 10 nominations for the year. All nominees receive a gift and a letter letting them know they have been nominated. However, the top 10 nominations receive an award certificate, a prize check, and media recognition. Greg has been a longtime trustee for his Neighborhood Homeowners Association. More importantly, he and his wife, Suzanne, put up 100,000 Christmas lights for the neighborhood every year during the holiday season.  Their nominator mentioned the lights and their service, but more importantly, the attitude in which it is done. "The Smiths have really big hearts, and they often do acts for people in the neighborhood with total anonymity. As a ...

Tim Muehlhoff, who wrote “Winsome Conviction” is concerned about the level of divisiveness in America and the cracks in our unity. He contends that one of the main causes for this discord is how we think about our convictions. “The reason we fight with each other, and often believe the worst about each other, is that we form convictions about things for which we care deeply. Unfortunately, we all care deeply about different things,” said Muehlhoff. “And even when we care about the same things, we often see these things differently and commit to different courses of action. If we are going to live together, we will need to moderate our convictions.” And Muehlhoff says that is also part of the problem because convictions are about moral absolutes. “In life we encounter two types of issues: absolutes and preferences. It is important that we distinguish these two,” said Muehlhoff. “Convictions are what we have about absolutes, and preferences are what we have about matters of taste.”...