Independence leads among Missouri Good Neighbor Week projects

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A citywide effort in Independence that generated more than 650 documented direct engagements, removed at least 920 cubic yards of material and attracted more than $20,500 in community support is a leading example of how University of Missouri Extension put neighboring into action during Missouri Good Neighbor Week.

The Love Where You Live: IndeCleanup effort brought together the City of Independence, MU Extension, Community Services League, Extension Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists, neighborhood organizations, businesses, volunteers and residents for eight days of community improvement activities.

Three other projects also rose to the top: Butler County Extension Council members personally delivering cards and visiting veterans at a VA nursing home; Andrew County Extension Council members creating birthday cake kits for families experiencing food insecurity; and St. Charles County Extension Council members and office visitors signed over 8,000 cards for those serving in the military.

“These projects are very different, but each captures something important about neighboring,” said David Burton, community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension and founder of Missouri Good Neighbor Week. “Good neighboring begins when people notice something that could make their community or another person’s life better and decide to do something about it.”

Missouri Good Neighbor Week is celebrated annually Sept. 28-Oct. 4, although acts of neighboring are reported throughout the year. Missourians reported 84,398 acts of neighboring in 2026, far surpassing the year’s goal of 50,000.

No. 1: Independence — Love Where You Live

Organizers of the Love Where You Live: IndeCleanup, Sept. 27-Oct. 4, created multiple ways for Independence residents to participate, including free bulky-item disposal, neighborhood drop-off sites, park projects, corridor cleanups and community donations.

The effort produced 652 or more documented direct engagements, including more than 610 resident pickups and drop-off visits and 42 community volunteers. At least 920 cubic yards of material were collected, 450 vehicles used the Free Drop-off Depot, and businesses and community partners contributed more than $20,500 in financial and in-kind support. City crews provided curbside bulky-item pickup to 160 households, removing 45 dump-truck loads totaling approximately 500 cubic yards. Neighborhood drop-off sites collected another 420 cubic yards of material.

Community volunteers worked alongside MU Extension Master Gardeners, Community Services League crews, city employees and others on litter removal, gardening, landscaping, brush clearing, invasive-species management and improvements to parks and community corridors.

Partners included the City of Independence, MU Extension, Extension Master Gardeners, Missouri Master Naturalists, Community Services League, Truman Heritage Habitat for Humanity, Independence Chamber of Commerce, neighborhood organizations, businesses, sponsors and residents.

No. 2: St. Charles County: Cards of Encouragement

The St. Charles County Extension Council demonstrated how a simple handwritten message can connect people across great distances. Council members and community participants supported an effort to create approximately 10,000 Christmas cards, with 6,200 cards sent to U.S. military personnel serving overseas and the remainder distributed closer to home.

The project gave participants an opportunity to offer encouragement and appreciation to people they may never meet personally while reminding service members that people back home were thinking about them, Burton said.

Tie - No. 3: Butler County: Cards Became Conversations

Butler County Extension Council members hand-wrote patriotic greeting cards for veterans living at the VA nursing home in Poplar Bluff. But they didn’t stop there. Council members personally delivered them and spent time visiting with the veterans.

“It would have been a worthwhile service project if they had simply written the cards,” Burton said. “But they went another step. They spent time with the veterans. That moves an activity from service toward relationship, and relationship is at the heart of neighboring.”

Tie - No. 3: Andrew County: Birthday Kits

The Andrew County Extension Council found another easily overlooked opportunity to demonstrate neighborliness. Council members assembled birthday cake kits for families using the Andrew County Food Pantry. Kits included cake mix, frosting, plates, napkins, balloons and other supplies for birthday celebrations.

The project addressed food insecurity, but it also addressed something less tangible: dignity and belonging, Burton said. “A family going through a difficult financial season still wants to celebrate a child’s birthday. The Andrew County project recognized a need that goes beyond calories or groceries. It said to a family, and especially to a child, ‘Your celebration matters, too.’”

Neighboring takes many forms across Missouri

While Jackson, St. Charles, Butler and Andrew counties provide four strong examples, MU Extension councils and 4-H clubs found dozens of other ways to put neighboring into practice.

Cooper County Extension Council members joined Master Gardeners and 4-H leaders to collect more than 250 canned and boxed food items, pet supplies, books and other goods to distribute among three little free pantries in Boonville.

The Dent County Extension Council and staff organized a “Sweets for Seniors” cookie drive benefiting the Salem Senior Center. In Warren County, Extension Council and 4-H participants assembled care bags for senior citizens containing household essentials, snacks and games.

In Webster County, Mighty Eagles 4-H Club members maintained a flower bed at Rogersville City Park, planting fall flowers and adding seasonal decorations. Members also planted flowers in downtown Fordland along Main Street.

It’s not just about the numbers

Burton said the range of activities demonstrates why neighboring shouldn’t be evaluated only by the number of people served. “A project reaching hundreds of people can have tremendous value, but so can a 4-H member delivering cards to five neighbors,” he said. “Neighboring is relational. Sometimes the most important impact happens one person at a time.”

Missouri Good Neighbor Week began in 2021 and became an official state observance in 2022. The statewide effort is led by University of Missouri Extension with participation from residents, communities, organizations, businesses and local partners.