What if one of the keys to a thriving rural community is not found at home or at work—but in the places in between? Coffee shops. Libraries. Parks. Local stores. Community centers. Farmers markets. Restaurants. Public squares. These are often called “Third Places” —the informal gathering spaces outside our homes (our first place) and workplaces (our second place) where people encounter one another, have conversations, build relationships, and develop a sense of belonging. For rural communities especially, these places can be much more than amenities. They can become essential pieces of a community's social infrastructure. That idea was the focus of a Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Exchange Quarterly Webinar on Friday, August 28, 2026 that can now be viewed on YouTube . One of the featured guests was Stephanie Campbell-Yount, owner of Haven in Maryville, Missouri. She shared  how Haven came to life and how a business can become something more than a pl...

Do you remember the last time someone did something kind for you, perhaps something small, simple, but meaningful?  Maybe a neighbor waved at you from across the yard, someone complimented your outfit at the grocery store, or a friend sent a quick text just to say, “I’m thinking of you.” Chances are, it made your day a little brighter. Now imagine if more people in your town made these kinds of small gestures more often. What would our neighborhoods feel like? Warmer. Kinder. More connected. According to research and expert insights shared in VOX magazine’s article “ Small Acts of Kindness Matter More Than You Think ” by Allie Volpe, these simple interactions do more than just make someone smile. They help fight loneliness, build community, and improve both the giver’s and the receiver’s well-being. The truth is, being kind doesn’t take much but many of us hold back. We overthink, worry we’ll be awkward, or believe our actions won’t be appreciated. But study after study says other...

  One of my favorite parts of my work with neighboring is reading the stories people submit from across Missouri. Statistics can tell us whether people know their neighbors. Research can document loneliness and social isolation. Surveys can measure our sense of belonging. But stories show us what neighboring actually looks like. As of August 26, 2026, I have had four Missourians send me some good ones to share as a way to inspire action ( and reporting ) for Missouri Good Neighbor Week. Waynesville, Missouri Along Interstate 44 In Waynesville, a group of about 40 travelers from the Netherlands arrived while making their way along Route 66 to Amarillo in a solar-powered car. They needed somewhere to rest, camp and recharge before continuing their journey. A City of Waynesville employee, Nathan Carmon, and his wife, Melony, opened their property to them. Think about that. Forty strangers from another country showed up in town, and someone essentially said, "You can stay with us....

  Sometimes the best examples of community building don't look like community development at all. They look like cupcakes, swimming pools, quilts, volunteers, children blowing out birthday candles, and a giant American flag hanging from a fire truck. That is what happened this summer in Houston, Missouri, when the Community Betterment and Arts Council organized a birthday party at the Toni M. McKinney Municipal Pool as part of Houston's Show-Me America 250 celebration. More than 200 people of all ages attended. Two Houston Middle School Beta Club students dressed as Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross and greeted guests. There were 250 cupcakes, red-white-and-blue popsicles, prizes, commemorative coins and free admission provided by local businesses. The Houston Fire Department brought its ladder truck and helped with the ceremonial lighting of 250 candles. On the surface, it sounds like a fun community celebration. But I think something deeper was happening. Houston was building belongin...

  What if $25 could do more than buy a tank of gas, a cup of coffee or a bag of groceries?  What if it could start something? During Missouri Good Neighbor Week, Sept. 28–Oct. 4, I’m putting that question to the test right here in Republic. Thanks to an approved $500 grant from Drop Dead Generous , and a matching donor creating a $1,000 community-wide experiment in kindness. That money will purchase forty $25 gift cards from local businesses. Then the fun begins. Throughout Good Neighbor Week, those gift cards will appear in unexpected places around town—on gas pumps, library tables, at local coffee shops and cafés, and in other everyday places where Republic residents go about their daily lives. Each gift card will be sealed in an envelope with a simple message:  “This is for you, neighbor.” Inside will be a note explaining the experiment and inviting recipients to share their stories. Where did you find the gift? What did $25 mean to you that day? How did receiving an u...

  The new Missouri Good Neighbor Week Ambassador Program is for people who believe stronger communities begin with stronger relationships between neighbors. When you register as an Ambassador , you'll gain access to our new online Ambassador Portal , designed to make it quick and easy to report your acts of neighboring throughout the year and help us tell the story of neighboring across Missouri. Ambassador Benefits As a Missouri Good Neighbor Week Ambassador, you'll receive: Easy year-round reporting through our new Ambassador Portal. Free access to neighborhood training videos with practical ideas for building connection, belonging and trust where you live. Early notice of special events and opportunities happening across Missouri. Access to special Ambassador events and opportunities throughout the year. The opportunity to be part of a growing statewide movement making neighboring visible, celebrated and contagious. What We Ask of Ambassadors Being an Ambassador is simp...