Today communities across America will celebrate National Good Neighbor Day. It’s a day to host block parties, to mow a neighbor’s lawn or simply to introduce yourself to someone in your neighborhood you have yet to meet. In 1978, former president Jimmy Carter issued proclamation 4601, which read:

“As our Nation struggles to build friendship among the peoples of this world, we are mindful that the noblest human concern is concern for others. Understanding, love and respect build cohesive families and communities. The same bonds cement our Nation and the nations of the world. For most of us, this sense of community is nurtured and expressed in our neighborhoods where we give each other an opportunity to share and feel part of a larger family…I call upon the people of the United States and interested groups and organizations to observe such day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

In 2003, the National Neighbor Day celebration which originally began in the early 1970s was changed from the 4th Sunday of the month to September 28th.

One of the things I often hear, from those who have grown up in Waco and those who are still relatively new—is how neighborly our neighborhoods are. Today, on National Good Neighbor Day, let’s celebrate one of the things that makes Waco such a special place to live!