Over the next several months, local residents will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on what makes a community and what they want theirs to look like.
The United Way of Union County has partnered with The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation on an initiative designed to “produce community-led, community-driven change.”
Tessa Fite, with the local United Way, is coordinating the effort. She explained that in 2022, Honda began discussions with The Harwood Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization designed to “equip people, organizations, communities and networks with the tools to bridge divides, build capacity and tackle shared challenges.”
“Union County is vibrant and growing fast. Yet the community faces a vital choice: How will it maintain the good things it loves while confronting the challenges of growth and change? It’s clear to me the people in Union County are ready to create new ways to move forward while honoring what they love about their community,” Rich Harwood, president and founder of The Harwood Institute said in a statement. “That’s what this initiative is about.”
Through that initiative, the Harwood Institute held conversations with hundreds of community members from different areas across Union County. As a result of the conversations, the group presented a report that highlighted the need for the community to strengthen civic capacities, build on existing good work and address shared challenges.
The report highlighted four “overarching themes, each of which needs the community’s concerted attention and action.”
The areas identified included: people want growth to be more proactively managed; there is a need to deepen connection between leaders and residents; residents must step forward; and civic capacities must be grown.
The report is being used to move forward with a series of projects including “Labs” that teach participants “the practice of Turning Outward so they can take action, create meaningful change and unleash the community’s potential,” as well as orientation sessions, the formation of action teams, creation of work spaces to help with those action teams and webinars to help teach participants how to move forward with action steps.
Fite said three action teams — Health, Youth and Northern Union County — have already been formed.
“These are the areas we are focusing on right now and as the work grows and expands, the idea is that we will expand those and create new teams,” Fite said.
Fite said one of the things that make Harwood’s approach different is that before action steps are created, leaders are being intentional to get into the community and find out what actions community members actually want to see.
“We are really excited about getting out and talking to people. We want to make sure we are taking action on key issues that matter to people,” Fite said.
She and others will be interviewing community members at places like the YMCA as well as shopping centers and bowling alleys.
“We believe in meeting people where they are,” Fite said.
She said that while the process is different, so are the questions. She said the questions are “open ended.”
“We are leaving it intentionally open so we can hear what people are thinking and give them space to tell us what they truly want for the community,” Fite said.
She said respondents have already been “positive” and thankful that their opinion is being considered.
“We are really hoping what we can see from this is a true picture of where we are at in the community and where people want us to go,” Fite said.
Information gathered in these conversations will be used to create small action steps that can be accomplished. Officials said a small win could unleash a chain reaction that “takes root, grows and spreads throughout the community like a positive contagion.”
“We listen. We address something and we make it happen,” Fite said. “When people see things happen, they come back and participate.”
In a letter as part of the initial report, Yvette Hunsicker, Vice President for Social Responsibility ad Inclusion and Diversity at Honda, said the company’s “dedication to Union County goes far beyond the jobs we provide.”
“We are dedicated to ensuring that Honda’s philanthropic investments create sustainable impact aligned with the community’s shared aspirations and needs,” Hunsicker said.
She said Honda will use the information from the report and discussions, “to help inform our strategy for future community investments.”
She said Honda wants to be “a company that society wants to exist.”
“We deeply value the trust and relationships we have built with residents and leaders across Union County and look forward to discussing how Honda can best partner with the community in the future.”
Fite said people should be pleased about the because, “we are creating a community together where people can thrive and have a high quality of life.”
“I believe people should care because, and the heart of the initiative is the belief that by working together, we can build a shared, positive path forward,” Fite said. “It takes all of us, as a community, to make sure that as things change, as they do, that we are growing together and including everyone in the community.”
Those who are interested in learning more about the initiative or joining an action team are asked to contact Fite at tessa.fite@unitedwayofunioncounty.org.