Belonging : article
Seventeen Missourians were honored with statewide awards for outstanding neighborly acts during the first Missouri Good Neighbor Week.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Twenty Missouri residents have been honored as the state’s Most Engaged Neighbors for 2025. These awards highlight everyday Missourians whose commitment to their neighborhoods strengthens community bonds and creates belonging.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Performing an act of neighboring is easier than many people imagine according to David Burton, county engagement specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
Missourians shared nearly 20,000 acts of kindness during Good Neighbor Week, celebrating community and connection statewide.
GRANITE CITY, Ill.– After Bobby Hutchinson lost his left leg in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, he thought he’d never play golf again.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – A few years ago, Claire Rippel came across the term “civic muscle,” referring to a community’s capacity to take action to address shared goals and challenges.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- When a disaster strikes, who are you going to call? Several residents in rural Highlandville recently answered that question with action when they reached out to their neighbors and came to help when a neighbor's home caught on fire.
A community garden in Noel, Missouri, brings together diverse groups, promoting cultural exchange, shared meals, and stronger connections across differences.
A community nonprofit turns vacant lots into gardens, farmers markets, and programs linking food access with local growth.
MARYVILLE, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension will host its 2026 Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference in Maryville, Sept. 15-17.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The tally is in, and 31,129 acts of neighboring were documented this year as part of the fourth annual Missouri Good Neighbor Week, Sept. 28 – Oct. 4. The goal had been to reach 20,000 acts.
Missourians reported nearly 20,000 acts of neighboring in 2023, celebrating community connections during Good Neighbor Week.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – David Burton, a community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension, returned from the 48th annual Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) conference in El Paso, Texas, May 24-28, with the Best Neighborhood Program award.
Missouri marks the first Good Neighbor Week from Sept. 28, encouraging connections and community across the state.
A $475,000 grant will enhance leadership programs across Missouri, focusing on community engagement, skills development, and local project planning.
With HBO’s new six-part documentary series “Neighbors” debuting Feb. 13, a nationally recognized University of Missouri Extension specialist and neighboring enthusiast is available to provide interviews and commentary for reporters and broadcasters as part of a larger discussion about what it means…
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – “I was a great neighbor until I discovered that I was not,” says David Burton, community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension in Greene County. “I don't throw loud parties. I mow my yard regularly. I clean up my leaves. I even pick up after my dog when I…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $179,614 grant to the University of Missouri to support efforts to help veterans, Latinos, women and socially disadvantaged persons to farm or go into agribusiness.
Voices from across America reflect on everyday neighborly acts—from greetings and gatherings to caring and uniting communities.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Local civil rights pioneer Eliot Battle is the subject of a new documentary that chronicles his pivotal role in desegregating schools, housing and the Columbia community.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Sunni Purviance is president of the Southeast Neighborhood in Roanoke, Virginia. She has worked hard to improve the reputation of her neighborhood.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The relationships we have with others impact different aspects of our lives, according to Amber Allen, a human development specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Addiction costs Missouri $1.4 million per hour, but a recovery-friendly workplace can increase profits for businesses and foster an employee-focused culture.
Michael Brittian and Ed Goeke returned to Springfield from the 50th annual conference of Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) in Jacksonville, Fla., May 20-23, with the Best Neighborhood Program award in the Social Revitalization category. This year’s conference had 525 registered attendees from 36 states and…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Closing the gender gap in civic representation is the focus of the latest episode of “Show-Me MO Success,” a podcast from University of Missouri Business and Community Extension.
MU Extension’s Veteran R.E.A.D.S. program will host a Feb. 23 talk on Willy Frederick James Jr., Kansas City’s only native Medal of Honor recipient. James was one of seven African American soldiers whose Medals of Honor were approved decades after their wartime service due to discriminatory…
Celebrate 12 Missourians honored for exceptional neighborly engagement during Missouri Good Neighbor Week through statewide awards and community recognition.