Good Neighbors should be celebrated
Good neighbors are everywhere.
They lend a hand, pour into the people around them, and make where you live feel like home. This National Good Neighbors Day, we're celebrating the people giving their time and heart to those around them.
2026 Winner Announced! Meet Our Inaugural Neighbor of the Year Contest Winner
2026 Contest Winner
Judi Carlson
Dunwoody, GA
For more than a decade, Judi Carlson has helped turn Malachi's Storehouse from a local food pantry into a place where neighbors find food, friendship and a community to lean on.
Judi began volunteering at the Dunwoody pantry in 2012 and soon joined its board, became co-director and ultimately spent 12 years as director. Though she recently stepped down from that role, she still returns every week to serve alongside the more than 100 volunteers who keep Malachi's running. Together, the entirely volunteer-powered organization distributed 713,000 pounds of food in 2025 and now serves roughly 325 families each week.
But Judi's impact goes far beyond the food leaving the pantry. She has helped create a community where people who once came for assistance return as volunteers, local teenagers find a place to serve and anyone willing to help can find a role. Today, roughly a quarter of Malachi's volunteers are current or former clients themselves.
That sense of belonging is at the heart of what Judi has spent more than a decade building. As Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch, who nominated Judi for Neighbor of the Year, shared, Judi has an extraordinary ability to bring people from all walks of life together — whether they arrive looking for help or looking for a way to give it.
Read Judi's Full Story
Prize Awarded
$20,000
Community Grant + Recognition for being an outstanding neighbor and community member.
Our Amazing Finalists
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Corey Everhart Clemmons, NC -
Christina "Chris" Maier Sisters, OR -
Keith "Howdy" Matheny Hallsville, MO -
Bob Nelson Saint Louis, MO -
Charice Paoli Lake Zurich, IL -
Kenneth "Kenny" Petersen Anchorage, AK -
Samantha Ritz Merchantville, NJ -
Amy Troyer Green, OH -
Dr. Melita Walker Columbia, MO
Contest Timeline & How It Works
Mark your calendar for these important dates!
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Nominate your neighbor Aug 3 – Sep 1
Fill out the form below to nominate community members who deserve recognition. Finalists will be chosen by our Neighbor of the Year Committee.
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Judges Will Review Nominations Sep 2 - Sep 13
Our committee will review all nominations and select group of standout nominees to advance to the final voting round.
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Cast Your Vote Sep 14 - Sep 21
Learn about the finalists and vote for your favorites.
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Meet the winner Sep 28 - National Good Neighbors Day
Neighbor of the Year is announced.
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Active Now
See the Impact After Sep 28
Learn more about this year's winner and finalists.
Meet our Committee
Good neighbors recognize good neighbors.
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David Burton
Author and Creator
David Burton has dedicated his career to understanding and celebrating the art of good neighboring. As the author of "The Neighboring Playbook" and founder of Missouri Good Neighbor Week, he has spent years documenting and championing the everyday acts that strengthen communities. David brings a scholarly expertise in what makes neighbors good, and a passionate belief that recognizing these individuals inspires others to show up for their communities.
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Leslie Cook
Lead Real Estate Editor
Leslie Cook is Money's lead real estate editor covering trends in the housing market and homebuying tips. Her reporting consistently examines the barriers that keep people from achieving homeownership, from rising mortgage rates to affordability challenges. She brings to Neighbor of the Year a journalist's eye for the real stories and deep understanding that strong neighborhoods are built by people who show up for each other when their obstacles, similar to homeownership, are difficult to navigate alone.
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Talia Jackson
President and CEO
Heart of Missouri United Way has been serving mid-Missouri for 80 years, and Talia Jackson leads that mission as President and CEO. Her focus on bringing people, resources, and nonprofit partners together to create lasting, measurable change at the local level reflects the same belief that drives the Neighbor of The Year Award — strong communities are built one neighbor at a time.
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Angela Santomero
Creator of Daniel Tiger, Blue's Clues, and more
Angela Santomero has spent decades creating programming that teaches children and families the power of empathy, generosity, and being a good neighbor. With more than twenty-five Emmy nominations and two Emmy Awards — for Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Blue's Clues & You! — her work gave her a front-row seat to how early lessons in compassion shape the way people care for one another. Her newest venture, Princess Penelope's Purse of Preposterous Things, continues this mission through YouTube and two beautiful storybooks available everywhere books are sold. She holds a deep conviction that the kindness we model for children today is the foundation the next generation builds their communities on.
Why We're Doing This
At Neighbors Bank, we believe that when someone shows up for their neighbors, they deserve to be celebrated. The impact of their work ripples outward, strengthening community bonds, creating lasting connections, and inspiring others.
Neighbor of the Year is our chance to give these people the recognition they deserve and the support to keep making a difference.
Our Mission
For over 80 years, Neighbors Bank has been committed to strengthening the communities we serve. We're not just a bank, we're neighbors invested in the success and well-being of the people around us. The Good Neighbor Contest is our way of celebrating those who embody the spirit of community service and inspire others to make a difference.
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Community First
We believe in supporting those who strengthen our neighborhoods through selfless acts of kindness.
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Local Impact
Real change happens at the local level, where everyday heroes make extraordinary differences.
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Recognition Matters
Celebrating good neighbors inspires others and creates a ripple effect of positive action.