Words of Hope

About twenty people, from high school students to retirees, from Nespelem to Electric City, gathered for a public dialogue to move our community towards a new vision. If our community were thriving, what words would describe it?

Two groups discussed our diverse community in terms of needs and assets as they pondered paths to greater prosperity for all members of our community. We know our community abounds with caring, helpful, friendly people. How can we coordinate efforts to be more involved and helpful? We know our community has many successful gatherings: Colorama, Mill Pond Days, Grand Columbian. How can we offer more daily venues for all ages to enjoy a diverse menu of interests? We know many people who jump in to help when a need arises. How can we provide more resources in child care, health care, and all-age activities?

These issues interested the community members, and the question, "If our community were thriving, what words would describe it?" was answered by two groups.

Group A: Diversity, Peace, Community
Group B: Unity, Harmony, Growth, Vision, Opportunity

Aim high; if you aim at nothing, you will hit nothing.
~ Author Unknown ~

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.
If you can dream it, you can become it.
~ William Arthur Ward ~

A common vision of a thriving community propels us to be that vision. These committed colleagues have begun the dream. Session 2 will meet this Thursday, November 20th at 5:30-8:30 p.m. or Sunday, Dec 7th 2:00-7:00 p.m. Both meetings convene at the Coulee Dam Presbyterian/Community Church located at 509 Central Drive (the stone church).

Free Child and Adult Care available. Gas money available too!
Please indicate your needs in your RSVP.

Let us know you are coming. Please call or email:
SHARP Kids/Mary Schilling at 633-3033 or mschilling@gcdsd.org

Please come to add your words of hope
and begin the journey towards pride
in a more prosperous community.

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Stories in the Community: Content Links

Lisa Carson
Steve Carson
Rob Hughes
Bob Lambert
Keven Lind
Jeremy Miller
Nate Piturachsatit
Amanda Poch
Mary Schilling
Shelly Stine
Jesse Utz

To add your biography, just copy and paste this list into an email with your information. Then email to Sheri.

Who:
Occupation:
Years in Community:
Education: (HS, Year; College, Year)
Favorite community memory:
Hopes for community:
Why I am part of the project:

Thanks for joining Team Horizons of Grand Coulee, WA !

HORIZONS: Community Leaders Reducing Poverty
Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all.

Your Voice Needs to be Heard ----

I’m Sheri Edwards. I have been honored to teach the children in this community for twenty-three years. I blog here as a community member to support this Horizons program -- a grass-roots program of movement and change.

On Veteran's Day, we honor those who protected our freedom with the greatest of sacrifices, whether as memories of service and lost brothers-in-arms or as the greatest sacrifice, that of life. The Nespelem Community always honors their veterans at a special pow wow, held last weekend at Nespelem School.

Thank you, Veterans, and thank you, Nespelem Community members for your tribute to our brave men and women who have protected our democracy.

As you know, the price of freedom is high, both to defend it and to maintain it. Freedom requires responsibilities as citizens. As we honor our veterans, we know the many problems they face. And we look from them into our community, and we see both our connectedness and successes and our many problems. From Nespelem to Electric City, our Grand Coulee community has many needs to which groups of citizens can find solutions.

This grass-roots group has formed to do that. I missed the first meeting. I was invited to the second meeting. Most of the people there agreed that we indeed exist as one whole community, and that the voices from Nespelem were not yet represented. The group agreed that members must encourage and gather the voices from all of our neighbors, including from Nespelem.

Just as a fresh spirit has risen from the hope of the Presidential Election, so I found this group to to be diverse in its ideas so that all voices could be shared.

The group has prestigious sponsors and some funding. The Horizons program, sponsored by Washington State University for the Northwest Area Foundation, is about the changes a community can make to move from waiting to leading, from talking to action, from control by few to the participation of many." The goal is building community capacity for creating sustainable skills and programs, all developed by community members through a democratic "Study Circle" process.

Other communities have found ways to build community centers, to bring Internet access to remote rural areas, and build a community park needed for families and children. Two native communities involved in projects include Wellpinit and Hoh River Tribe.

The community name is Grand Coulee, and as you know, the Coulee has been here for thousands of years, so its first community was and so is of the Native peoples. As the Lakota of the Dakota-area say, Mitakuye Oyasin [Mee-tah-koo-yay O-yah-seen]: We Are All Related. Hopefully, then, the Grand Coulee name provides more of a unifying umbrella than that of a place and separation. To find solutions to the needs of the whole community, can we agree that we need to work together?

If you are reading this, won't you join as a community member to help our local communities? Would you be willing to discuss this as families and neighbors, as Veterans Associations and church groups, as tribal offices and committees, and as friends and community members? And in those discussions would you send representatives to the Study Circle meetings to represent the voice of the tribal people and of Nespelem community? and Elmer City? and Coulee Dam? and Grand Coulee? and Electric City?


Please join us at the next meetings (see right).

Elder/Child care provided. Gas money available.

"For communities to thrive, everyone must thrive." Please contact me by email. Mary Schilling is the main contact person (633 3033).

Thank you for your time and for joining the journey to support our connected community.

Sheri Edwards

Community Meeting: We Need You!

Please come to be heard!

We need your input.

Contact: mschilling@gcdsd.org

What is Horizons--Grand Coulee?

HORIZONS

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TO REDUCE POVERTY

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GRAND COULEE, WA AREA

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Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all

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“The Horizons program is about the changes a community can make to move from waiting to leading, from talking to action, from control by few to the participation of many, from despair to hope, and from indifference to pride."

The Horizons program is sponsored by Washington State University, which is the delivery organization for the Northwest Area Foundation.

The program promotes community leadership focused on reducing poverty in small rural and reservation communites. "For communities to thrive, everyone must thrive." The goal is building community capacity for creating sustainable skills and programs, all developed by community members through a democratic "Study Circle" process.

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Won't you join as a community member to help our local communities? Please express your interest, your comments, and your suggestions via email to: mschilling@gcdsd.org

Would you like more information about the Grand Coulee program? See our Contact page.

When are the next meetings? See our Meetings page.

Would you like more information on the project, see the above links or our About page.

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Please consider joining together with other community members to propel our stressed community into a prosperous community for all.

http://horizons.wsu.edu

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