Leadership Sikeston group organizes ‘Good Neighbor’ week in September

SIKESTON — The 2024 Leadership Sikeston Class is organizing a Sikeston Good Neighbor Week as its project this year.

The designated week will run from Sept. 23-27. As part of Sikeston Good Neighbor Week, each day will spotlight something in the community to encourage neighborly behavior. 

According to David Jenkins, communications manager for the city of Sikeston and member of 2024 Leadership Sikeston, the group decided to try something new this year and thought a good neighbor week was the ideal approach.

“We decided that instead of asking for money this year or having a big event where we ask for money, that we would do something a little bit different,” Jenkins said. “So, our class decided we were going to do a good neighbor week.”

According to Jenkins, Sikeston Good Neighbor Week will consist of supporting local non-profits on Monday, getting active on Tuesday, beautifying Sikeston on Wednesday, raising mental health awareness on Thursday and promoting random acts of kindness on Friday.

“The way it is going to go is each day we will focus on different things,” Jenkins said. “Monday is focusing on supporting the non-profits in the community. We plan to put information out on social media and some of the needs that they have because not everybody knows about the non-profits.”

Jenkins said they will also encourage people to donate to nonprofit organizations.He said Leadership Sikeston members plan to sell T-shirts for Good Neighbor Week, with all proceeds going to Mission Missouri in Sikeston.

According to Jenkins, on the Get Active Day, they will simply encourage people to get out and walk, ride a bike, play a sport with friends or simply get outside.

“Just anything active counts — whether it’s taking your dog for a walk or playing pickle ball,” he said.

According to Haley Gleason, who is also a member of the Leadership Sikeston 2024 class, her favorite day is Tuesday, which is Get Active Day.

“It’s easy to get into a routine where you forget to be active,” Gleason said. “Making an effort to get outside or even get your kids outside and just go walking around the neighborhood is a way to get active.”

Jenkins said Beautifying Sikeston Day encourages community members to help make Sikeston even more beautiful by planting flowers, mowing the lawn or just picking up trash. 

“Just like all other communities, Sikeston has an issue with littering,” Jenkins said. “Our leadership group is going to go out and pick up some trash on School Street and take some pictures and encourage citizens to go pick up some trash.”

According to Gleason, people could even begin decorating their yards and houses for the fall season to help beautify the town.

Jenkins said on Thursday they will raise mental health awareness and promote the suicide hotline “988.” 

“People are going to write 988 on their hand to spread awareness,” Jenkins said. “We are also encouraging people to wear either yellow or green. Yellow is for suicide prevention and green is for mental health awareness.”

Jenkins noted the group chose Thursday, Sept. 26 as Mental Health Awareness Day because Bootheel Behavior Health will hold a suicide prevention and remembrance walk at the Sikeston Sports Complex that day.

“The walk usually draws a pretty good crowd so we are trying to get people to take part in the walk as well that day.”

Jenkins continued: “Lastly, Friday is an act of kindness day. Pay for the person’s coffee behind you, open the door for somebody. Do something kind for another individual.”

Jenkins said the leadership group members are also encouraging people to wear red and black on Friday.

“It’s a citywide thing that on Fridays we wear red and black,” Jenkins said. 

Jenkins also said people can follow the Facebook page, “Sikeston Good Neighbor” for updates.

There will also be a hashtag used that week, #SikestonGoodNeighbor.

“Overall, we are just trying to encourage people to be a good neighbor that week, be kind to each other and learn and take pride in the city,” Jenkins said. 

Gleason agreed.

“It’s really exciting to bring something to Sikeston that’s really never been done before,” Gleason said. “We are looking forward to Good Neighbor Week. We wanted to do something that everybody can be involved in.”

For more information, contact the Sikeston Regional Chamber.