Missouri Good Neighbor Week is an event held annually that encourages Missourians to be more neighborly to their fellow community members. Springfield holds the Queen City Mayor’s Block Party event in recognition of Missouri Good Neighbor Week. The events will begin on National Good Neighbor Day, September 28, and will go through October 4.
“It gives you a reason to take action,” said David Burton, Community Development Specialist for the University of Missouri Extension. “It gives you something to mark on the calendar and say, ‘Okay this is the week I am going to do something with my neighbors.’ ”
The Queen City Mayor’s Block Party is an event focused on creating stronger relationships with your neighbors. Neighborhoods in Springfield are encouraged to throw parties to build relationships with neighbors. Parties can be registered online for a chance to win prizes as well.
“One of our studies found that 30% of Missourians don’t know a single neighbor. No one,” said Burton. “Just think about having a connection with a neighbor to establish some trust. If you go on a trip who can check on your dog, who can check mail, who can watch something over your house? I mean that's a part of it. Thats a tangible advantage.”
Burton said the goal of last year's event was 15,000 neighborly acts around the state. Nearly 20,000 neighborly acts were reported by Missourians during the week. The goal for this year's Missouri Good Neighbor Week is 20,000 neighborly acts. Neighborly acts can be reported on their website. Burton also said that individuals may be nominated for “most neighborly.”
In order to encourage more people to participate, Burton said, there are very few requirements to register your block party. To register, you must be in the city limits of Springfield.