Neosho's Bright Future

When I moved to Neosho I was just 21.  Working in public relations at Crowder would be my first job out of college.  A few weeks before the position began; I came to town to look for a place to rent.  I remember stopping to eat a quick bit for lunch at one of the restaurants on the Boulevard.  It was a hot August like now, and sitting there I looked out across the highway at the high school. 

I remember thinking how nice it was that the school seemed to be at the heart of the town and that the football field was immediately next to it.  Even though it would be almost 10 years before I would have kids, I daydreamed a little about how nice it would be for my children to one day attend Neosho Schools.

My decision to start my career here was based as much on how impressed I was with Crowder as how hopeful I was to become part of Neosho.  I never regretted either decision.

Crowder was a great place to work for almost two decades.  And now for almost 25 years I’ve called Neosho home.  I’ve often compared our Western Hills neighborhood to Neosho in general.  It’s small enough that everyone knows everyone, but big enough that folks aren’t “in your business” all the time.  But at the first sign of trouble, people will flock to you, climbing over each other to help.

Neosho is the type of place where folks are just waiting to do something good.  A perfect example is the Hope Chest project at Mills Furniture.  The ripple effects from that effort are now felt far and wide; both in terms of those who have helped find and fill the chests along with those on the receiving end.

Last week Neosho’s Bright Future’s program kicked off.  Once again, there was no denying that Neosho was ready to answer the call.  Neosho First Baptist was filled with eager parents, dedicated teachers and fantastic community leaders all waiting to hear how they could become a part of this program that has so positively impacted the Joplin school district.

Each and every speaker that morning spoke from the heart.  Representative from the school, athletics, business, the court system and Neosho churches spoke about what ministering to students meant to them and how they saw Neosho’s Bright Futures program being a key factor in the success of our district.

There are so many ways to help: having lunch with a student, volunteering at a school, sponsoring a classroom, or even a school.  The organizers of Neosho’s effort have purposefully left portions of the next steps open.  They want to make this program – Neosho’s program; meet the needs of our students, here and now.

Get involved.  Check out “Bright Futures Neosho” on Facebook or call Neosho schools, 451-8600. 

Neosho is a great community with a very bright future.