Results from Good Neighbor Week

At the end Good Neighbor Week in Missouri, we had documented 5,579 acts of neighboring submitted by nearly 100 groups and individuals. In Greene County, residents documented 2,281 acts of neighboring.

We more than doubled our goal for acts of neighboring. Some individuals and groups went all-in on this idea of neighboring and helped us exceed our goals.

Best of Missouri Award – D&L Florist (Houston, Mo.) distributed 2850 individual roses to neighbors in and around Houston in celebration of National Good Neighbor Day

Rural Missouri Award – Milton and Judith Moore (Agency, Mo.) prepared 13 quarts of homemade Hot Cocoa Mix for their nearest neighbors with instructions for preparing.

Urban Missouri Award – Elaine Montgomery (Springfield, Mo.) organized a "Socialize & Safe Disposal" event in north Springfield with donuts, coffee, and secure document shredding.

Diversity Award –Josy Mendoza (Springfield, Mo.) made and delivered Hispanic food to neighbors: two elderly couples, a Chinese man, a widow, and two university students.

Winners of the Greene County "Top Neighbor" community awards are as follows:

Ash Grove – Diana Simpson provided materials to four of her neighbors to assemble an emergency first aid kit for the home.

Willard – Karla Sheppard provided sugar cookies and an encouraging note to four of her neighbors on National Good Neighbor Day.

Strafford - The Fellows Lake Neighborhood hosted a pot luck picnic for neighbors. One of the event's goals is to begin a neighborhood watch, according to organizer Norma Tolbert.

Greene County – The neighbors of Buck Van Hooser in Ash Grove: David Hawkins, Joe and Mary Hawkins, Mike and Dena Coale, and Travis Underwood for yard and fieldwork they performed for a neighbor while he was recovering from cancer.

Republic – Linda Dunn and her husband purchased ten bags of flavored popcorn, made cards to attach, and delivered them to the ten closest neighboring homes.

Republic – The neighbors of Kate Evert: Brad and Angie Harnish. Her neighbors are avid gardeners who weeded and mowed her garden while she was away from home.

Springfield - L. Scranton and neighbor J. Pendergrass mow the yards of six elderly neighbors free-of-charge all year to keep their corner of the world tidy.

Association. They created information packets about the association with $5 gift cards to College Street Dairy Queen to 100 homes on National Good Neighbor Day.

Forest neighborhood held an ice cream social that featured music by local band Geezer. It was their first gathering since the pandemic began.

County Engagement Specialist burtond@missouri.edu Direct Tel: 874-2954 Started: 2001 Responsibilities: Leadership development, neighboring, heritage tourism, media relations, and works with council to fund and administer local programs.