Neighborhood News - Issue 4

YOUR

Neighborhood News Printed for Pilot Neighborhoods as Part of Greene County MU Extension’s Engaged Neighbor Project

December 2021 * Vol. 1 Issue 4 Neighborhood Bingo Chart in This Newsletter Neighborhood Bingo does not involve dabbers, a rotating bingo cage, or numbered balls. But it does require a game card created by a University of Missouri Extension specialist for use as a tool for connecting neighbors and families through a fun activity.

Board creator David Burton, a county engagement specialist with University of Missouri Extension, has included a copy of the Neighborhood Bingo in this newsletter.

Those who complete a Bingo card can submit it to Burton at the MU Extension office in Springfield, Mo, and receive a gift by mail.

Project ideas on the board range from those that require advanced planning to more simple activities.

All of the squares are familyfriendly and can be completed with social distancing.

"The whole idea is to create connections for relationships," said Burton. "This idea of neighboring is a process. The result can be lifechanging for you personally and your overall neighborhood."

Plan Now to Apply for a Grant to Fund Neighborhood Event in 2022 University of Missouri Extension distributed $3,750 in 2021 as part of its new neighborhood mini-grant program.

The approved grants funded neighborhood events ranging from ice cream socials and potluck dinners with music to front porch concerts, neighborhood parades, beautification and even a haunted Halloween trail in a neighborhood.

The application is simple and can be done online at https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/NeighborGrant.

The application must include another neighbor (not just one person) and the grant check is sent only after event receipts and photos and a short report are received (by email preferred) at the Greene County Extension office.

See Inside Review of “Placed For A Purpose” ……….………..

Neighborhood Bingo Card ……………..…………..

Results from Good Neighbor Week .………………..

Study Shows Neighboring Impact on Elderly ……....

Who is My Neighbor chart …………………………..

Holiday Ideas for Reaching Neighbors ………..……

Greene County Extension Council | extension.missouri.edu/greene Tel: (417) 881-8909 | Email: burtond@missouri.edu

An equal opportunity/ access/affirmative action/ pro-disabled and veteran employer.

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Engaged Neighbor Program made possible by the: Greene County Extension Council Greg Boehne Chairman Alex Greiwe Vice-chair

Morgan Ash Secretary Lisa Bakerink Treasurer John Russell County Commission Tammy Lowrey Farm Bureau Jordan Miller MFA

Samuel Snider City of Willard Jason Buffington City of Battlefield Joseph Hoffman City of Springfield Vacant 4-H Youth member Members at large Scott Smith Chad Courtney Karen Dowdy Chris Schulze Rick Stenberg Larry Adams Ray Meyer Eric Sutton Allison Anbari Christina Hammers Aaron Jones Stephen Snead Mike Lofaro Tiger Ambassador

Review of “Placed for a Purpose”

By David L. Burton

Chris and Elizabeth’s McKinneys new book, “Placed for a Purpose,” challenges us to create margin in our lives so we can interact with our neighbors.

I’ve met and visited with Chris. several times and he has practical examples that this couple has put into practice and that they write about in their book.

For them it started with the realization that the address of the residence might not be an accident.

If they were instead to use their home as a place of engagement, as opposed to a place of refuge, what would that look like for them and their children?

David Burton will lead a For the McKinney’s it began with a fish fry. But soon it became study of the McKinney‘s an Easter egg hunt with her book in January and immediate neighbors, and February on Wednesday Halloween activities in their nights, from 6:30 PM to neighborhood, and other creative ways to build relationship with 7:30 PM at Ridgecrest those that live around them.

Baptist Church, 2210 W Their book contains some great and insightful ideas. I especially like Republic Rd., Springfield.

The class is open to the the fact that they say neighboring is like a lot crockpot, low and slow, public. Register online at not a microwave. It takes time to ridgecrestbaptist.org or by develop relationships with your calling the church neighbors. The key to a relationship at (417) 887-2317. building is hospitality.

They also note that we need to remove the word just from our neighboring language. It is not just a hello it is a hello. Is not just a front yard gathering, it is an Continued to page 8

#EngagedNeighbor

As community leaders & advocates, we encourage friends to learn the names of all their neighbors; to build relationships with their neighbors through common interests and shared experiences; and to sustain compassionate and caring practices of neighborly love. https://www.facebook.com/BecominganEngagedNeighbor

Donations in support of the Engaged Neighbor Program are appreciated and help to continue outreach efforts like this newsletter.

Missouri Neighboring Challenge Documents 5,579 Acts of Neighboring, Prize Winners in Greene County Announced At the end Good Neighbor Week in David Burton Missouri, we had documented 5,579 acts of neighboring submitted by nearly 100 groups County Engagement Specialist and individuals. In Greene County, residents burtond@missouri.edu documented 2,281 acts of neighboring.

Direct Tel: 874-2954 We more than doubled our goal for acts Started: 2001 Responsibilities: Leadership development, of neighboring. Some individuals and groups neighboring, heritage tourism, media relations, and works went all-in on this idea of neighboring and with council to fund and administer local programs. helped us exceed our goals.

Winners of the statewide "Top Neighbor" community awards are as follows: Best of Missouri Award – D&L Florist (Houston, Mo.) distributed 2850 individual roses to neighbors in and around Houston in celebration of National Good Neighbor Day Rural Missouri Award – Milton and Judith Moore (Agency, Mo.) prepared 13 quarts of homemade Hot Cocoa Mix for their nearest neighbors with instructions for preparing.

Urban Missouri Award – Elaine Montgomery (Springfield, Mo.) organized a "Socialize & Safe Disposal" event in north Springfield with donuts, coffee, and secure document shredding.

Diversity Award –Josy Mendoza (Springfield, Mo.) made and delivered Hispanic food to neighbors: two elderly couples, a Chinese man, a widow, and two university students.

Winners of the Greene County "Top Neighbor" community awards are as follows: Ash Grove – Diana Simpson provided materials to four of her neighbors to assemble an emergency first aid kit for the home.

Willard – Karla Sheppard provided sugar cookies and an encouraging note to four of her neighbors on National Good Neighbor Day. Strafford - The Fellows Lake Neighborhood hosted a pot luck picnic for neighbors. One of the event's goals is to begin a neighborhood watch, according to organizer Norma Tolbert.

Greene County – The neighbors of Buck Van Hooser in Ash Grove: David Hawkins, Joe and Mary Hawkins, Mike and Dena Coale, and Travis Underwood for yard and fieldwork they performed for a neighbor while he was recovering from cancer.

Republic – Linda Dunn and her husband purchased ten bags of flavored popcorn, made cards to attach, and delivered them to the ten closest neighboring homes.

Republic – The neighbors of Kate Evert: Brad and Angie Harnish. Her neighbors are avid gardeners who weeded and mowed her garden while she was away from home.

Springfield - L. Scranton and neighbor J. Pendergrass mow the yards of six elderly neighbors free-of-charge all year to keep their corner of the world tidy.

Springfield – Candy Smith and the Westside Neighborhood Betterment Association. They created information packets about the association with $5 gift cards to College Street Dairy Queen to 100 homes on National Good Neighbor Day. Springfield – Residents of Kingsbury Forest neighborhood held an ice cream social that featured music by local band Geezer. It was their first gathering since the pandemic began.

Rutgers Study Finds that Neighbors Improve Well-being The old proverb says, “Good fences make good neighbors.” But a study from Rutgers University has found that having continuously low levels of contact with neighbors, or losing contact with them altogether, is associated with declining levels of psychological well-being in middle and later life.

The School of Social Work study explored whether frequency of contact and perceived neighbor support are important for several measures of psychological well-being. The researchers found that people who reported low quantities of neighbor relationships rated themselves worse over time in terms of feelings of purpose in life, personal growth, autonomy, environmental mastery, self-acceptance, and positive relations with others.

The study, “Continuity and Change in Relationships with Neighbors: Implications for Psychological Wellbeing in Middle and Later Life,” was published The Journal of Gerontology.

Neighbors might not necessarily prevent us from feeling depressed but they are an important part of the social landscape and contribute to what makes life worth living. From bringing in our mail or making a meal, to providing social interaction, neighbors can play an important role in middle and older age.

"We found that lack of that support contributes to a sense of loss and decreased well-being,” says Emily Participants who reported continuously Greenfield, researcher and associate low levels of contact, and participants professor at Rutgers. who experienced losses in contact, Providing everything from assistance in emergencies, to transportation, to daily were at greater risk for social interaction, contact with neighbors poorer psychological well-being. was found to provide a boost of wellbeing. Participants who reported continuously low levels of contact, and participants who experienced losses in contact, were at greater risk for poorer psychological well-being.

A growing number of models for aging services have sought to strengthen neighbor relationships to help older adults remain in their own homes. Despite these initiatives, there has been little research on the implications of neighbor relationships. Greenfield used 10-years of data, from over 1,000 adults ages 40-70, showed that continuity in the neighbor relationship was especially important for more developmental aspects of psychological well-being.

“Smaller, prior studies of older adults within their communities suggest that neighbors’ spontaneous interactions can provide a sense of community, structure and purpose, friendship, humor and an outlet for personal expression. Our study contributes additional empirical support for the importance of community initiatives that help people develop and maintain strong relationships with neighbors,” says Greenfield.

Greenfield says her findings support an “aging in community” framework, which emphasizes developing supportive relationships among community members not only for the sake of mitigating potential problems in later life but also for promoting optimal functioning and quality of life.

Neighboring 101 Sessions Open for Registration, Free, and Attracting Nationally Known Speakers

University of Missouri Extension continues a series of free programs known as "Neighboring 101." These are classes that are taught live via zoom once a month during the noon hour. You must register online at http://extension.missouri.edu to access the live class and get videos from past classes. Simply search for Neighboring 101 to find the registration link.

Upcoming guests include: Dec 16 - Michael Mather, author of "Having Nothing, Possessing Everything," will be our live guest. Mike has spoken all over the nation about how he put asset-based community development to work in Indianapolis.

Jan 20 - Becky McCray, a nationally known community development specialist, will present "The Idea Friendly Method." This will be an interactive session and focused on taking action on your ideas for your community.

In 2022, the class becomes Neighboring 201 and will have a $25 subscription rate.

Continued from page 2 opportunity to connect with people. It is not just a plate of cookies or a cup of sugar to a neighbors, is an opportunity to share what we have. Is not just a ping pong game with me in the garage, it is an opportunity check together and to get acquainted.

Neighboring is not one size fits all. It varies from area to area and among people because our likes and dislikes are different and change. But doing an event or an activity can be a great excuse to meet neighbors.

In the recent decades, the idea of being a neighbor in America has shifted to be behavior based on etiquette. Basically a good neighbor is someone who is quiet and leave me alone.

We need to change that definition, change the narrative. We must change what it means to be a good neighbor. It actually means to love your neighbor and that begins by learning their name and building a relationship with them.

CONFERENCE MARCH 5 Thanks to a partnership with Ridgecrest we will also be bringing the Chris and Elizabeth McKinney to Springfield for a day-long neighboring conference on March 5. That conference will be open to members of the public but seats for the conference will be limited.

Pen Pal Program

Contact: Christine Thompson Director of Community Engagement SeniorAge Chris.Thompson @SeniorAgemo.org (417) 868-9530

Use this to record and remember the names of the people living in the 8 closest front doors to your front door.

‘Tis the Season for Neighboring; See Our Checklist of Ideas Acts of neighborliness are often simple gestures that help us be a good neighbor, lift up others, or make our community a place we love. We invite you celebrate this special time of year with a gesture of neighboring friendship and support. This is a seasonal list of ideas that have been used by individuals in the #engagedneighbor network.  Set up an outdoor picture-taking event for kids.  Bring out a fire pit in your front yard to roast marshmallows or make s'mores.  Host neighbors for evening coffee and dessert.  Invite your neighbors over for a holiday open house or Christmas tea.  Mail or leave at the door a surprise affirmation note to neighbors.  Use the element of surprise with a gift or act of service that would bless your neighbors.  Make a double batch of the cookies you’re baking and bring some to a neighbor.  Know parents who could use a night out? Offer to babysit a neighbor’s child for free.  Deliver a homemade card to your neighbor, or leave it in their door.  Invite your neighbors to help the less fortunate by collecting food for a food pantry.  Help your neighbors hang their Christmas lights.  Go caroling and give out free homemade Christmas cookies to neighbors.  How about a hot cider and cookie night?  A Mexican tradition, tamale and hot chocolate night.  Put together a goodie-bag for the neighbors and go from house to house giving them out.  How about a neighborhood Christmas potluck for neighbors?  Start a toy drive in the neighborhood for less fortunate children.  Give mini Poinsettias with notes  Free gift-wrapping for the neighborhood w/coffee and cookies.  Distribute battery operated mini candles w/note.

Learn More on Facebook Page Follow our “Becoming An Engaged Neighbor” page on Facebook for regular examples of neighboring across the Midwest. Learn from the examples of others. See the impact neighboring can make on your quality of life.

Receive Neighboring Overview Packet

Complete a short questionnaire to receive our popular 100-plus page informational packet about the neighboring program (including a literature review) sent to you by email as a PDF.

10 questions on this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EngagedNeighborOverview or at https://extension.missouri.edu/counties/greene/neighboring-project