By James Windell
For the first time in its history, the City of South Haven will celebrate Good Neighbor Day on Sunday, September 27, 2026, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the downtown pavilion.
Many South Haven residents already engage in behaviors that embody the spirit of Good Neighbor Day.
For instance, in South Haven’s Ward 1, they formed a Community Action Committee that meets regularly to work together to make the community a better place to live and work. The Action Committee celebrates the good that is happening in their area of the city as well as pinpoints problems to be resolved.
In addition, every spring Ward 1 neighbors get together with city staff to do a neighborhood cleanup. A Community Garden in Ward 1 provides fresh vegetables for community members. And Ward 1 holds an annual picnic that is open to the whole community.
The neighbors on one street in Ward 2 go out together to keep the storm drains clear to prevent minor flooding. When a man in the neighborhood was hurt in an accident, a neighbor made him a comfort quilt. Sometimes neighbors water each other’s flowers on hot summer days.
In one neighborhood in Ward 3, a condo association had their parking lot sealed and striped. There was a neighboring cottage that shared the same parking surface, and the condo association included their parking area at no charge. The condo association and the cottage owners routinely help each other by taking the trash and recycling bins out to the curb and back in. A teenager goes out with a youth group every Sunday to clean up the neighborhood.
These are all great examples of good neighboring.
So, why not a day to celebrate such kinds acts that are so symbolic of good neighboring?
Actually, National Good Neighbor Day, although not well known or widely observed, is celebrated each year on September 28. The day was created in the early 1970s by Becky Mattson of Lakeside, Montana. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter issued a proclamation calling for all citizens to observe National Good Neighbor Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
In his proclamation, President Carter said that the noblest human concern is concern for others. “Understanding, love and respect build cohesive families and communities,” Carter said.
“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.”
In his book “Fragile Neighborhoods,” Seth Kaplan argues that America’s deepest social problems – crime, isolation, addiction, family breakdown, failing schools, and declining trust – are rooted not in national politics but in the weakening of local institutions and neighborhood- level social ties. Kaplan’s message is that strong neighborhoods create strong societies, and fragile neighborhoods create fragile societies.
One way to strengthen neighborhoods is to encourage more good neighboring actions by all of us. To get started, Dave Flack and other City Council members would like the City of South Haven to celebrate National Good Neighboring Day on September 27, 2026.
“We would like to do a community gathering in the Huron Street Pavilion on September 27 of this year, and we will celebrate National Good Neighbor Day with a walk in the wards and a collaborative art project with the South Haven Center for the Arts,” Dave Flack says. “But everybody can come up with ideas and share those with their neighbors. After all, that is what good neighboring is. If enough people in a neighborhood start showing acts of good neighboring, it would change how people in that neighborhood feel – and help to create the strong neighborhoods that Kaplan identifies in his book.”
Good Neighbors program representative for South Haven, Kristie Abruzzo, says that their mission is simple. “We want to highlight the power of strong, connected neighborhoods and celebrate everyday acts of good neighboring.”
Abruzzo adds that everyone is welcome to the Good Neighbor Day event on Sunday, September 27 at the Huron Street Pavillion from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.
“In a community with diverse views and changing dynamics – from long-time residents to short-term rental properties – we believe every home and every person is an essential part of our neighborhood fabric.”
