What does it mean to be a “good neighbor?” Is it waving occasionally while unloading a carload of groceries? A nod or a smile as you pull into the driveway? Or even a catchy slogan created to sell insurance? Maybe it’s something more…

A proud Cross Plains, TN, resident, Jon Allgood, has spent a lifetime being a good neighbor. “I was brought up with the idea that neighbors help neighbors, and that's the way I operate,” says Jon. “Cross Plains is known for being the first settlement for Robertson County. If you drive around here it's mostly a farming community, and it's just what I call a home. I mean, we’ve got one blinking red light right in the middle of our town, and everyone knows one another. That’s what I love about it.”

To Jon, being a good neighbor means finding ways he can use his skills to help those in need. In the past, he’s helped to install ceiling lights for a local pastor and fixed a failing deck for an elderly resident. 

However, it wasn’t until Jon began attending monthly County Commission meetings that he found another opportunity to help the community on a larger scale.

According to Jon,“The County Commissioners brought up the fact that the picnic tables in Kilgore Park were in terrible shape and needed to be replaced.” 

Normally, similar requests would be addressed by the vocational department of the high school, allowing students to hone their carpentry skills while providing a community service, but this wasn’t feasible because the timing was just prior to the beginning of summer break. 

As a result, Jon took the opportunity to volunteer his time and skills. “I spoke with them after the meeting and said, ‘If you supply the wood, I'll build the tables.’”

After receiving the materials, Jon spent the next few days constructing six new picnic tables, assisted by a friend with the assembly. As Jon describes, “I cut all the wood to size…all the pieces that I needed to build 6 tables. I laid it all out, and put together the leg portion where the seat attaches, and then my friend came over and helped me put them together.” 

Upon completion, the tables were placed inside one of the pavilions at Kilgore Park in Cross Plains, giving the park a much-needed sprucing up.

Although Jon is very skilled in many areas, he still considers himself a “Jack of all trades, but a master of none.” As such, perhaps one of Jon’s best qualities is that he is just as humble as he is kind. 

“I'm just a person who has some skills and some God-given talents. I'm retired, and I don't need the money, so I would rather help someone for free. I look at it as just another jewel in my crown,” says Jon. 

For Jon Allgood, being of service to others and not expecting anything in return is what being a good neighbor is all about. It's no wonder his last name is "All Good."