embedded community experience
2024 – an absolute whirlwind of adventures, ideas, and community building goodness
Phew! What a year it’s been. From small towns to big ideas, 2024 has shown me once again that the heart of community development lies in the passion and creativity of people like you. Chatsworth, Georgia: Where Empty Buildings Come to Life We kicked off the year in Chatsworth, Georgia, where the Chamber of Commerce…
Read MoreWe gave up planning the old way for a Brendan Hoffman exhibit and visit
Webster City, Iowa hosted an international photojournalist, Brendan Hoffman, in residency at the Daily Freeman Journal, the local paper. A town of 8,000 people managed to take a 6 week free class on Using Photography to Tell Your Stories, view an exhibition of War In Ukraine, and personally visit with the photojournalist Brendan Hoffman and…
Read MoreDriving Positive Change in Rural – we can help
SaveYour.Town has been instrumental in driving positive change in rural communities. You’re interested in the work Becky McCray and I do, you read our newsletters, you’ve seen us in your towns and on stage, you watch our videos and webinars. As you plan for 2024, I’d like to share a bit more about the various…
Read MoreSmall town ideas for Gowrie, Iowa
I attended the Chamber Dinner in Gowrie, Iowa and talked about small town ideas they could use. It was my pleasure to spend a couple of days there. This article talks about small town ideas for the community and by the community. Got empty buildings? Every small town has empty buildings and empty lots. Gowrie…
Read MoreAkron Iowa onsite visit update
Several years ago, I was in Akron, Iowa, population 1,558, for an onsite Idea Friendly visit for one week. They’ve been gathering their crowd, building connections, and taking small steps. Their former mayor, Sharon, sends updates periodically. The following is from her latest email update. We now have seven businesses serving food: Casey’s. Chubs is…
Read MoreWho are your newcomers?
I was in Mt. Ayr, Iowa and had the opportunity to meet with a group of people who had moved back to this small town of 2,500. They brought with them technology, a large network of professional friends and their families. It’s not a beach town, there’s no mountains and people don’t go there to…
Read MoreWhere are they now?
Embedded Community Experience in Columbiana, Ohio Visit by Deb in February 2019. Columbiana, Ohio is a small town Deb visited in February 2019 for an Embedded Community Experience. 6,400 people live in the town Harvey Firestone called home oh so many years ago. One focus was on the downtown area because there quite a few…
Read MoreSay Thank You
Support your businesses with a thank you. A small group of us stopped in to the Pancake House in Paulding, Ohio just to tell them thank you! They are more than a pancake house, they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. And they are local business owners providing a much-needed service in your community. I get…
Read MoreUsing the Entire Town to Fundraise
Akron, Iowa has a big idea of building an aquatic center. They knew it would cost a lot of money. They will write grants and apply for different kinds of funding. However, without full support of the community, those requests won’t go very far. Some of the small steps they are taking to raise funds…
Read MoreEmbedded Community Experience Follow Up
Six Months Later in Belle Fourche “It’s because you told us to take small steps, and we did,” said Gary Wood, Chamber Director at Belle Fourche, South Dakota. I visited there in October of 2017 for an Embedded Community Experience. Since my visit, much has happened! BUSINESS UPDATES Cowboys Too! Moved across the street from…
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