Today is National Good Neighbor Day, a holiday first proposed by Becky Mattson of Lakeside, Montana in the early 1970s to commemorate and celebrate the feeling of togetherness and service that underpins all strong communities.
Mattson, a local realtor was driven by her spirit of volunteerism and dedication to her community to spread her goodwill to the entire nation. She and her husband lobbied congress for several years to establish the fourth Sunday of September as a day to recognize the positive impact good neighbors have on our lives.
In 1978, Jimmy Carter became the first sitting U.S. President to sign a decree bringing her dream to fruition. His official proclamation said:
“…we are mindful that the noblest human concern is concern for others. Understanding, love and respect build cohesive families and communities.
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 2004, a Congressional act moved the holiday to September 28th.
Mattson passed away in 2010 and her friend and colleague Rae Marie Fauley told the “West Shore News”: “She was a very community-minded person. Her vision for Lakeside a long time ago was to have some sort of park and a sort of community center. She loved children and she was always doing things for this community.”
Locally Owned, Locally Loved
Good neighbors are friends and allies, they look out for each other, help each other, and live side by side in harmony. By working together we build stronger, more caring, and more effective communities.
The simplest way to be a part of this day is to recognize and honor the neighbors who matter in our lives. So, it’s more than appropriate to take this moment to acknowledge our friends and partners, and who is more fitting for recognition today than Good Neighbor Pharmacy?
A retailers cooperative of more than 3,200 independently owned and operated pharmacies, the Good Neighbor network is built on a backbone of Locally Loved drugstores. They are deeply rooted and essential parts of their many neighborhoods and a shining example of everything that National Good Neighbor Day represents!