During Missouri Good Neighbor Week (Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2024) more than 120 individuals were nominated for Missouri’s Most Engaged Neighbor awards. Twenty-two were selected statewide for individual recognition, with six from Springfield. Ten acts of neighboring were randomly selected from the more than 31,000 submitted, with two from Springfield. In addition, Springfield was recognized as one of Missouri’s Most Neighborly Cities. David Burton, community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension and creator of Missouri Good Neighbor Week, presented a plaque to City Council at its Nov. 18, 2024 meeting.

“I just love the variety we had this year. We had Spanish-language nominations. We had rural, urban and suburban nominations. And we had both young and older people who understood what being an engaged neighbor means,” said Jennifer Prophete, Hopeful Neighborhood Project director and partner in Missouri Good Neighbor Week.

Most Engaged Neighbor

“In previous years, there were 50 to 60 nominations for Most Engaged Neighbor recognition. But this year, the window for making nominations was open for a more extended period. That resulted in too many good nominations for the committee to narrow it down to just 10, according to

“All of the nominations were of really high quality this year,” Burton said. “Every nominee received a letter letting them know of their nomination and a Missouri Good Neighbor Week nominee keychain.”

Those selected for the Most Engaged Neighbor award received $100 and an official award certificate.

Springfield’s Most Engaged Neighbors were:

Chance Parish, Woodland Heights

Nominator wrote: “Chance embodies the essence of community involvement and neighborly spirit. His dedication to his own neighborhood and his willingness to assist other neighborhood leaders showcase his commitment to fostering a strong sense of community. One of Chance’s most remarkable contributions is creating a website to track neighborhood items, and his weekly emails to neighborhood leaders stand as testaments to his innovative approach to the community. His presence at neighborhood meetings underscores his genuine concern for the well-being of his community. His consistent attendance and active participation demonstrate his dedication to understanding and addressing local issues. Chance embodies the qualities of a good neighbor. His kindness, compassion, and willingness to lend a helping hand make him a cherished member of the community.”

Stefanie Johnson, Bradford Park

The nominator wrote, “Stefanie has stepped into the role of being the PTA president at Cowden and has worked tirelessly to raise funds and build the school’s social capital. I think the thing that most stands out to me about Stefanie is that she has worked to build our school’s connection with the local neighborhood association.”

Nancy Williams, Delaware

The nominator wrote, “Nancy is committed to our neighborhoods, communities and city. She has led efforts to connect women in her neighborhood, organize a neighborhood ice cream social, a lemonade crawl, and a neighborhood cleanup, inspire neighbors to come together and take on projects, and inspire a love for our neighborhood by the folks who live in our little area of Springfield.”

Rudy Widmar and Rebecca Welsh, Mark Twain

The nominator wrote: “Rebecca and Rudy have a home improvement business and are quick to help neighbors with any issue. They have repaired my fence, removed a huge limb from a neighbor’s yard, and helped a recent widow with some home repairs. They did all this free of charge to help their neighbors. Rudy and Rebecca have hosted monthly potluck dinners in their home, taken on leadership roles in the association, and helped spruce up the neighborhood. These efforts have strengthened our bond and allowed us to know each other better.”

Jamie Tatum, Grant Beach

The nominator wrote: “Jamie has formed groups to clean up Grant Beach Park, helped to organize sporting events for the children, and has made the park an inclusive and safe place for all neighbors. Jamie has risen above adversities and become extremely productive in her neighborhood. As president of the neighborhood association, she has embraced assets in the neighborhood and gotten others to work together.”

Honored Acts of Neighboring

“We were able to document 31,129 acts of neighboring! Our goal was 20,000. Thank you to everyone who participated. This year we randomly drew 10 names to recognize individuals for their acts of neighboring but that random drawing still produced an impressive list of acts done during the week,” Burton said.

Those whose names were drawn received $50.

Springfieldians selected for performing Honored Acts of Neighboring were:

Wayne Thompson, Schweitzer Church’s Flourish Community Development Corporation 

Flourish CDC did a project in the Heart of the Westside neighborhood for Good Neighbor Day. Flourish went door to door and passed out Good Neighbor Day goodie bags, reaching 125 doors and engaging with neighbors.     

Amy Shelburn-Zarins, Seminole-Holland

A nearby rental house had a pile of sticks at the base of a tree in the front yard that had been there for years. Amy knocked on the door, introduced herself and requested permission to haul the pile to the Yardwaste Recycling Center. She was taking her own pile with room available in the trailer. The neighbor’s yard looked so much more open and inviting with the big pile of sticks gone! The occupants then started to mow the grass regularly and have no longer received complaints to the City for tall grass. Small acts of kindness inspire positive changes!

Most Neighborly Cities Award

New to Missouri Good Neighbor Week this year was recognition for the most neighborly cities in the state. 

This honor was based on points earned by participating in the week, city campaigns and proclamations, residents making nominations for most engaged neighbor and reporting acts of neighboring, and statewide or local prizes won, Burton said

“The goal was to further engage cities with Missouri Good Neighbor Week and we had over 12 issue proclamations and at least 12 that had organized city-wide efforts for Missouri Good Neighbor Week,” Burton said. “We ended the week with over 31,000 documented acts of neighboring and five cities worthy of the title ‘most neighborly city’ in Missouri.”

Springfield won first place in the Metro City with population more than 30,000 category.

At the Sept. 5, 2024 Springfield Cardinals game, Mayor Ken McClure issued the Queen City Mayor’s Block Party Challenge, which resulted in 18 block parties held across the city.

Judges said: “We loved the PSA done by KY3 in support of neighbor week and block parties in Springfield! But beyond that the city had block parties going on, organizations and neighborhood associations did events for neighbors during the week, individuals reported their activity and over 15 individuals were nominated as most engaged neighbors, several of whom took top honors.”

Nominations for 2025

Starting Jan. 1, you can nominate individuals for the most engaged neighbors and submit acts of neighboring for 2025 at missourigoodneighborweek.com.