Who Is Invited to the Potluck?
While we may send out blanket event invitations to people in our neighborhood, the reality is the space we create communicates to folks...
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David Burton
- May 30
- 3 min
The 50 Yard Challenge
I grew up mowing lawns in my hometown of Ash Grove, Missouri. My dad provided me with a riding and trim mower that I could use to mow...
480 views0 comments
Sara Johnson
- Apr 28
- 3 min
Let’s Be Front Porch People
My neighborhood is waking up after the slumber of winter. The smell of pork steaks cooking over charcoal, heavy bass lines thumping from...
213 views1 comment
Katy Engle
- Nov 22, 2022
- 3 min
A Warm Cup and a Warm Smile
“Come over tomorrow for hot cider and donuts!” a simple, last-minute invitation pinged on my phone. It was from some neighbors. They had...
304 views0 comments
Sara Johnson
- Sep 23, 2022
- 1 min
National Good Neighbor Day
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation to establish National Good Neighbor Day and a resolution was later passed by the...
128 views0 comments
Paul Schreiber
- Sep 1, 2022
- 2 min
Kansas City Hosts Neighborhood Project Lab
Recently, The Hopeful Neighborhood Project partnered with the Chestnut Avenue Resource Center, a KC-based nonprofit that connects people...
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Katy Engle
- Jun 9, 2022
- 3 min
Creating a Neighborhood Directory Connects Neighbors
During one particularly harsh winter, I worried about my house-bound neighbor. I wondered if the cold temperatures and snow had kept her...
1,092 views0 comments
Justin Rose
- Jan 26, 2022
- 3 min
The Story of Your Neighborhood
A few years ago, I saw a sign on a vacant lot in my neighborhood that said, “First Nations Garden Coming Soon.” This lot, which is on the...
115 views2 comments
Danielle Tietjen
- Nov 24, 2021
- 2 min
Ask, Seek, Bake Them Tasty Treats
I love my neighborhood and find great delight and value in knowing my neighbors. But it can also feel strange to simply go up and meet...
67 views0 comments
Lydia Krug Benda
- Oct 7, 2021
- 4 min
The Stories We Tell
Every night when I was a young child, I begged my father to tell me stories from his youth. He called them, “School of Hard Knocks,” and...
59 views0 comments
Danielle Tietjen
- Sep 30, 2021
- 4 min
Hear the People
It was a cold day in March when I made the two-block walk to the neighborhood community center in the park. The path was lit with...
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Lydia Krug Benda
- Sep 23, 2021
- 3 min
Muddy, Bloody Childhood
I watched from the kitchen window as my two boys played in the backyard yesterday. They’re two and five, and they have a love/hate...
35 views1 comment
Sara Johnson
- Sep 9, 2021
- 2 min
Community Directories and Supporting Your Local Network
When I moved to St. Louis from Detroit a few years ago, I was eager to get connected in my new neighborhood. One of the first resources I...
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Lydia Krug Benda
- Sep 2, 2021
- 2 min
Being There
I painted our house the other day. It’s a small, ranch-style house, so don’t get too impressed. My dad and father-in-law chipped in, too....
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Danielle Tietjen
- Aug 26, 2021
- 3 min
Community Garden Adventures: A Toddler Runs Amok
This past Sunday we hosted a gathering at our community garden. It was a time for neighbors to come together, help weed the plots,...
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Don Everts
- Aug 19, 2021
- 3 min
What Part of the Neighborhood Am I?
When I was a young child, I got in trouble a lot. And those were just the times I was caught. I’m thinking especially of the few years...
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Danielle Tietjen
- Aug 12, 2021
- 2 min
The Best and the Most
Each park in our city has a playground and oftentimes a water feature. A block from our house is our park, and it has a wading pool right...
42 views0 comments
Danielle Tietjen
- Aug 5, 2021
- 4 min
Who is Worthy of Kindness?
I needed to shovel the snow for the third day in a row yesterday. I started to shovel in front of our house. Not long after I began...
41 views0 comments
Danielle Tietjen
- Jul 29, 2021
- 2 min
Forgiveness Among Neighbors
Neighbors share a unique relationship due to their constant proximity to one another. When tensions arise, it often creates challenges...
35 views0 comments
Minh Chau Ngoc Vo
- Jul 22, 2021
- 3 min
Apprenticeships Bring People Together
If you’re trying to unite a neighborhood, it’s common that you will be working with two groups that are very different from each other in...