Missouri Good Neighbor Week is underway, and organizers are looking for stories of neighbors helping neighbors across the state. 

So far, 102 counties have participation, but no acts of neighboring have been reported from Barry County.

“That doesn’t mean good things aren’t happening,” a University of Missouri Extension press release said. “It means no one has reported them yet and Missouri Good Neighbor Week is inviting residents, businesses, churches, civic groups and community organizations to change that.” 

An “act of neighboring” can be simple: checking on an elderly neighbor, introducing yourself to someone who just moved in, sharing something with a neighbor, helping with a project, inviting someone over, picking up trash in the neighborhood, or simply taking time to learn a neighbor’s name.

“The goal isn’t to do something extraordinary,” said David Burton, a community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension and creator of Missouri Good Neighbor Week. “It’s to make neighborhood activity and interaction expected and normal.” 

Residents of Barry County are encouraged to report their acts of neighboring through the tools provided on the Missouri Good Neighbor Week website at missourigoodneighborweek.com. 

“A single story can inspire another person, and another, until small acts become a community habit,” the release said. “Who will be the first to report an act of neighboring from Barry County? Missouri Good Neighbor Week is ready to hear your story.”