“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Aesop
We love big things. Big yards, big houses, big vehicles, big titles, big numbers…. All these big things get attention in our news feeds, in our conversations, and even in our own minds. But, despite our obsession with big, the real power is with the small.
In 1978, National Good Neighbor Day was started by Becky Mattson from Montana. One person with a small idea created a national holiday signed by the president of the United States.
The power of small.
In 2019, David Burton, a community development specialist with the University of Missouri Extension Program, began celebrating National Good Neighbor Day in his hometown of Republic, Missouri. The first year, he had a handful of people in his neighborhood celebrate. This year, only six years later, Missouri Good Neighbor Week is on track to surpass the goal of 35,000 acts of neighboring with more than 41,000 already recorded (and more reports are coming).
The power of small.
In 2021, The Hopeful Neighborhood Project began meeting with David Burton and a small task force to help drive momentum around this movement. The first meeting had seven organizations represented. Three years later, National Good Neighbor Day has 20 partners.
The power of small.
In 2025, reports have come in from neighbors throughout the United States, and our zip code map shows activity in all 50 states. Each report represents something that might seem small: a block party with 20 neighbors, sidewalk chalk art drawn in front of an apartment building, a long table set in the street for neighbors, a thank-you note and gift bag to residents around a library, mums to the neighbors of a high school; all small acts of kindness to celebrate National Good Neighbor Day.
Those acts of kindness might feel small when looked at individually. But when looked at collectively, there is great power in the small. This year, those small actions have added up to 55,000 acts of neighboring — and counting.
That is the power of small.
If you did a small act of neighboring on National Good Neighbor Day, thank you. It mattered. If you haven’t let us know yet, there is still time! The action report will close Monday, October 13th. If you didn’t do an act of neighboring yet, do it now, because “no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
While walking in my neighborhood last week, I stopped and visited with a neighbor lady. I was using my walking sticks and since I have an extra pair (they were my deceased husband’s) I offered them to her if she would like to walk with me. She had indicated that she should also be walking for her health. So, 2 days later, I took them over to her and we walked about a half mile together and got better acquainted. Since we have exchanged phone numbers, and will next walk on Monday, the 13th. Friday, October 10 is her 69th birthday. I am 87; we shared some prior medical issues and are both Christians of liturgical background. I am looking forward to our continuing friendship.
This power of small stuff is great, until you realize it takes 55,000 tiny acts to equal one hour of my attention span. But hey, even I can manage to say hello to the guy who mows my neighbors lawn differently every week. The map showing activity in all 50 states is impressive, though mostly it means I know the guy at the gas station in Missouri. And my act of kindness? I returned a shopping list to its likely owner. Small? You bet. Matter? Only because now I know they write their lists in marker. But thanks for the reminder – maybe next year Ill actually *do* something small, instead of just admiring the smallness of others from afar.baseball bros unblocked
National Good Neighbor Day is clearly the unsung hero of the calendar, quietly transforming communities one sidewalk chalk drawing at a time. Who knew 20,000 acts of mums to the neighbors could pack such a punch? Its like the ultimate grassroots运动, proving that even the smallest gesture – like lending walking sticks to a new friend – can turn into a full-blown friendship saga. The power of small, indeed! If I hadnt already dropped off cookies, I might just borrow a neighbors ladder for Monday. Its amazing how these tiny sparks can light up the entire nation. Keep up the good work, neighbors!
I heartily agree with the director about the power of small! My contribution to the 2025 effort was setting out a slightly wilted cactus on my porch with a sign that said, Free to a good neighbor (please water). It attracted a squirrel, who seemed quite pleased, so Id call that an act of neighboring成功! The 55,000 acts are fantastic, though I suspect my cactus-powered effort is slightly behind on the zip code map. Still, its heartening to see such initiative, and kudos to Margaret M Rivers for her walking stick exchange – much more neighborly than my cactus situation! Keep up the great work, and remember, even the smallest gesture can be a big deal.deltarune prophecy script