Good Neighbor Day

July 21, 2022

When the mercury starts inching above 80 degrees, it takes a lot to get me to venture very far from my air conditioner - I am not a fan of hot weather. Despite my love of air conditioning, I spent June 15, 2022 on the streets of McKeesport in the sweltering heat. By the end of the afternoon my clothes were soaked through with perspiration, but I had met some amazing folks. I am a volunteer reporter for the McKeesport Community Newsroom and was one of the people manning our booth at McKeesport’s Good Neighbor Day.

Our booth was a little different than the other booths along Fifth Avenue that day. Every other group was there to tell people about their enterprise and what they have to offer. The McKeesport Community Newsroom was there to listen to our neighbors and learn their stories. We invited people of all ages to write their thoughts on our oversized blackboard and encouraged them to talk about their lives when they stopped at our table.

Since it was Good Neighbor Day, we decided the best way to celebrate the day was to talk to our neighbors. Accompanied by a videographer and an audio technician, I spent several hours interviewing some of the people visiting or working at the event. I discovered that the people of McKeesport were happy to talk and proud of their home town. The following video includes some of these conversations and collects some of our memories of that very hot and very enjoyable day. 

- Jim Busch