Neighboring lessons from voices across America

Related: Sept. 28-Oct. 4 is Missouri Good Neighbor Week

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – More 250 people from across the United States have taken the Engaged Neighbor Pledge during 2025. Each one was invited to share what that commitment means in practical terms.

“Their reflections reveal a consistent set of themes, a hopeful vision for stronger neighborhoods, and the first steps many are ready to take,” said David Burton, a University of Missouri Extension community development specialist and creator of the Engaged Neighbor Project.

According to Burton, these voices, from small towns to big cities, show us both the simplicity and the depth of what it means to be an engaged neighbor.

Here is a summary of what we can learn from this year’s pledge takers.

Start with simple acts of connection

Many pledged neighbors emphasized the power of small gestures. Comments included:

• “Saying hello to my neighbors more with the intention of being available to each other.”
• “I’m new to my neighborhood so I plan on introducing myself to my immediate neighbors. I will offer some vegetables from my garden as a way in.”
• “Saying hi to people on walks.”

Burton notes that these simple actions highlight that engagement doesn’t require elaborate programs. It begins with a smile, a name remembered or an open conversation.

“The foundation of engaged neighboring is relational, not programmatic,” Burton said. “Most people start with the basics of kindness and recognition.”

Creating spaces for belonging

A strong theme was the desire to bring neighbors together in shared spaces:

• Hosting block parties or neighborhood cookouts.
• “More front yard living.”
• Attending or organizing neighborhood meetings.
• “We will be hosting events for the community, to bring the community closer together.”
• I am going to use the Out & About idea as my method of introduction.

According to Burton, these efforts move beyond casual greetings to intentional community building.

“Physical gathering spaces—front yards, sidewalks, community centers—become incubators for belonging, and people create opportunities for neighbors to connect naturally,” he said.

Service and care for vulnerable neighbors

Many respondents focused on serving those in need, especially seniors, widows or marginalized groups. Examples included:

• “The past few days, my wife and I helped our neighbor, Lenore (who is 86), move from her home to a senior living estate.”
• “I feel very strongly about one principle in the Engaged Neighbor pledge: Include neighbors who are overlooked, marginalized, disabled, widowed or lonely.”
• “Check in on the elderly, be a person for them.”

For these neighbors, engagement means more than friendliness; it’s about practical acts of care and justice.

“Engaged neighbors see needs and respond,” Burton said. “Service turns neighborliness into tangible acts of kindness or love. That isn’t something you necessarily program.”

Healing divisions and building unity

Some participants named the divisions in their communities, especially political ones, and expressed a desire for unity:

• “Our community has had a hard time politically and is divided and I want us all to be closer together. That begins with relationships and building trust.”
• “I plan to follow this advice from the Engaged Neighbor Pledge: Focus on what is strong, not what is wrong.”
• “Just getting to know my neighbor’s story is a step in the right direction.”

According to Burton, these types of commitments reflect the potential of neighboring to bridge divides and foster peace in polarized times.

“Neighboring can serve as a quiet act of peacemaking in a fractured society in one of your areas of greatest influence – right where you live,” he said.

Long-term commitment and leadership

Finally, several respondents described themselves as already engaged neighbors who see this pledge as a way to deepen or extend their practice:

• “Love it! Been engaged for years, and it makes a difference!”
• “Be a continual learner about neighboring.”
• “To build strong neighborhood associations.”
• “I want to implement these ideas in several neighborhoods.”

“These individuals are thinking about sustainability, leadership and multiplication, showing that engaged neighboring can spread as a cultural movement,” Burton said. “Engaged neighbors aren’t just thinking about today’s actions but about long-term cultural change.”

Patterns and predictions

Taken together, the reflections suggest that most engaged neighbors will:

• Begin relationally through greetings, introductions, and friendliness.
• Host or attend gatherings — block parties, meetings and front-yard conversations.
• Care for the vulnerable, offering help to seniors, widows or struggling families.
• Work toward unity, overcoming division by focusing on shared strengths.
• Grow into leadership, building associations, modeling engagement and inspiring others.

These steps reflect a grassroots movement of ordinary people choosing to live intentionally with those around them, Burton said.

“The Engaged Neighbor Pledge is intended to be more than a statement; it’s a spark,” Burton said. “The voices of those who have taken the pledge reveal that being an engaged neighbor isn’t about having the perfect plan. It’s about starting small, showing up consistently and believing that stronger neighborhoods are built one relationship at a time.”

Take the Engaged Neighbor Pledge and become part of a movement! The pledge outlines five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4 is Missouri Good Neighbor Week

Signed into law in 2022, Missouri Good Neighbor Week encourages Missourians to “participate in events and activities to establish connections with their neighbors.” In 2024, our goal was to document 20,000 acts of neighboring. We surpassed the goal by over 10,000 acts! For 2025, we have set an even more audacious goal: 35,000 acts of neighboring. Help us reach the goal! Nominate your most engaged neighbor, plan acts of neighboring during the week and be sure to let us know what you do so we can count your neighborly kindness toward our goal. More about Missouri Good Neighbor Week.