Grand Coulee, Washington Horizons Community Blog

The Way Through

2011-07-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

Readers of this blog probably think it's the end of the road for our dreams and all the work we've done to develop a community center for our area.

Think again.

Although time has passed with no updates here, behind the scenes leaders in this community have been putting their ducks in order to pave the way to our center.

Leaders like Phil Hansen, commissioner of the Coulee Area Park and Recreation District , J. Scott Graham, Chief Executive Officer of the Coulee Medical Center, and Geary Oliver, a commissioner on both boards. The leaders of these entities have learned about and/or participated in the Horizons community meetings; they are moving forward to find other leaders to join in making a community wellness center a reality.

The Star - Online Newspaper shared Graham's idea: "Preventing illness rather than curing it, he said, is becoming an important part of the future of medical care. And a family-friendly, well-used wellness center, complete with fun, safe exercise options for year-round activities, would encourage a lot of prevention."

It's not the end of the road; we've just turned around and found the way through.

Photos:
Kruk Road to Banks Lake
Kruk Road from Banks Lake
Sheri Edwards

HORIZONS: Community Leaders Reducing PovertyWorking together to move from poverty to prosperity for all.
Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org
Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

Meeting August 26: WAG Strategic Planning

2010-08-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Wellness Action Group is a local community organization in it's infancy. Its sponsor is the Horizons Group and WSU with a purpose to reduce or eliminate poverty in this area.

The focus of the Wellness Action Group is to build a community center for the Grand Coulee Dam Area. Our community has a major need for a comprehensive center to address the central issues associated with poverty.

Most of the efforts so far include planning and background research and input from community members. Soon, the W.A.G. hopes to begin the process of coordinating funds and building the community center. At that point, the support of the entire community will be needed.

Won’t you join now?

Tonight's Agenda:

Review minutes from previous meeting

Reports

Old Business	· Strategic Plan · Increase community participation and buy-in/partner with local government · Train the Trainer training for Futures Game · Mind Mapping Exercise

New Business	·

Next Meeting

September 9, 2010

Time, Location TBD

Minutes July 10:

Meeting Minutes

July 15, 2010

Horizons Grand Coulee WAG Action Meeting

Pepperjacks Restaurant, 6:00 p.m.

Present:

Scott Hunter

Sheri Edwards

Jenelle Ottmar

Christine Price

Lee Stockhorst

Old Old Business

Scott – After Tom Jensen’s idea from the hospital renovations, our community project can cut and paste from another community plan. See Ephrata, Bellevue plan from the Parks and Recreation District. How was it written? Merge them. This may be a good project for Lee. Find the digital version of these plans.

Lee can also make a calendar of grants to apply for, adding this to our strategic plan.

Lee – We can also host finger painting days and the like, sponsored by WAG to survey the market and earn community buy-in. Currently eleven softball teams are using the park (which is not being watered). Anything you can take your kids to hear is appreciated. We may also sponsor a financial planning workshop and job/scholarship application workshops.

Jenelle – Horizons can easily sponsor a financial education workshop. This is one of the program specialties. We can offer babysitting as well.

Scott – To partner with local government we may have to “shame” officials into participation. North Dam Park is being let go to waste. It is a huge asset.

Lee – I will return from summer vacation on August 22.

Jenelle – We will bring project supplies for Lee to our next meeting. I believe Nate Pitturaschatit or Amanda Poch are in possession of the project business cards. Kevin Lind may have the camera.

New Business

Mind Mapping Exercise scheduled for Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

Christy – The Gates Foundation is giving grants to support community foundations. You must be a 501c3 to receive this money. The application process and award criteria are very simple.

Next Horizons WAG Meeting

August 26, 2010

PepperJacks Restaurant, 6:00 p.m.

Coulee Area Park and Recreation District (CAPRD) Meeting

Minutes by Jenelle Ottmar

HORIZONS:

Community Leaders Reducing Poverty

Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all.

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

What picture will we paint for our community?

2010-06-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

WAG Horizons Community Meeting
6/10/10
6:30-8:30 PM
Center Elementary
Notes and Thoughts
Sheri Edwards

Help us choose the next big steps to bring us from past poverty and divisions to future hope and unity...

Text:

Christy Price
Paul Allen Foundation
Poverty
Fill gaps
Community needs
Build Capacity

Barbara Engstrom
State grant-- maybe rotary

Michelle --
Mark Neal, Architect
Tell the story

Wellness center
Master plan

Needs Assessment
Competition to community

Daycare
Kids prepared to learn
Atmosphere

The Package
The Story
The Evidence

Ownership
See Handout

Food Service-who, how
Bureau and others--
"Membership"
Hotel/motel tax

Jenelle Ottmar
Impact Statement

Connections
School-- pool, fitness, conference rooms, health agencies;
Medical-- therapy pool, conference rooms, health agencies, elder help;
Daycare-- learning prep, safety, health agencies;
Parks and Rec-- pool, parks, funding, conference rooms, education;
Culture-- activities, education, shared history, conference rooms;
Daily health-- community and school access;
Tourism-- year-round access;
Conferences-- CCT, BLM, GCDSD, CCH, Others (church, Rotary, Chamber, Businesses);
Fiber--access for community
Community--cohesion, five towns/one home center, employment, youth activities, wellness, 1935-2010+, future vision reality...

So...

What picture will we paint?

HORIZONS: Community Leaders Reducing Poverty

Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all.

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

WAG Meeting 4/26

2010-04-24T13:20:00.001-07:00

The Wellness Action Group is a local community organization in it's infancy that is sponsored by the Horizons Group and WSU to reduce or eliminate poverty in this area.

The focus of the Wellness Action Group is to build a community center for the Grand Coulee Dam Area. There is a major need for a center here and much of the central issues with poverty could be better addressed with this type of facility.

Although at this time the majority of efforts and needs have been directed towards planning, in the very near future the W.A.G. hopes to begin the process of coordinating funds and building the community center. At that point, the support of the entire community will be needed.

For now it is enough to get the word out about what the goals of the W.A.G. are and let the entire community know to be ready to help however they can.

Thank you,

W.A.G.
Rick Morton, Member

Next meeting:

Monday, April 26, 2010
Grand Coulee Senior Center
6:30 pm

Funding Possibilities Meeting 4/8/10

2010-04-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

What happened at the meeting?
A Lesson in Self- sustainability: Outcomes That Change Communities

Patrick Malone, Presenter
WSUE Horizons Coach

4/8/10
Senior Center, Grand Coulee, WA

Outcomes

The most important aspect of funding any program is to focus on the outcomes for people that you hope to achieve.

What will change?
How will you know?

How much? What is your budget? What will you fund? How committed are those involved?

Create the value in the community--
The Horizons group-- How can you generate own income?

What about your core membership?
You as leaders?
Board members?
Have you shown your commitment?

Fees for service
In today's economic times, be entrepreneurial in your design.

Social enterprise....Earned income. For what can you charge a fee?
Donors... individual are base -- 85% of all donations
Grants....hardest and slowest
Government earmarks... Yes, that word: pork. Think of the West Central Community Center, Spokane. What will catch the eye and heart of those involved?

Gap funders...a
Again, what has the community given and developed to which the funders fill the gap?

Ideas:
Community garden members develop and sell a product from their produce (example: salad dressing in LA).

Expertise from community members we serve (sales, accounting, art, etc.) provide the foundation for themselves and a new service --a thrift store, an art gallery with lessons, a local book). Jobs created and funds (social enterprise) reinvested.
........

Other Topics
Nonprofits --membership fees

Pricing-- think of our Horizons group as the business across the street.

Marketable expertise. -- What skills do our members and our community have that can be marketed?

How about...
Art
Culture
Garden
Drama
Animal care
Story telling
Music
Poetry
Photography

Resources

Directory of community nonprofits

Grants.gov. Funds
Earmarks - apply.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Foundation Directory Online ask library to subscribe to the Foundation Directory Online

Foundation center...online search section...

Federal funds ... Own those items forever... Be prepared...

Consider: Public vs private money

Foundations don't want continued connection but DO want sustainability. Remember to focus on and tell the stories of your outcomes.

Funder contacts. Enjoy contact. People. Relationships.

Build a culture of service ... Philanthropy

Everyday Democracy

....

Needs
Meshing and blending group goals

Park & Rec district...
1st Monday, 5:00. Center School teacher lounge
New school needs more to obtain its original ideas
Letters---lots of letters

Tourists will be part of help--- need more to do, so our vision will add to their needs for which they will pay the fee to use our center.

Year round use... Yes, the pool and more.

The vision: community center: pool, child care, classes, etc.

The message:
How much will you help so we can make it happen together?
Our initial output will promote help for the community, market our community skills, and support the quest for further funding.
...

-- Post From IPad by Sheri

Location:Senior Center, Grand Coulee, WA

Community Meeting: Bring a Friend

2010-03-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

Let's get up to speed!

The Wellness Action Group (WAG) and community meeting is confirmed for Thursday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Senior Center in Grand Coulee. Bring a friend, bring a neighbor, hope to see you there!

We will have a special guest speaker, Patrick Malone, Horizons Community Coach and Microenterprise Assistance Project Team Member, for a presentation on Nonprofit Fundraising Basics, followed by a question and answer session.

Let's find out how to move forward with the community vision, the strategic plan of which is here.

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons by Great Beyond

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

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

WSU Sociology Students at Work for You!

2009-10-31T17:36:00.001-07:00

Sociology 433, an undergraduate class at Washington State University, has been researching options and resources for topics that are important to your rural communities as you work to reduce poverty. Topics include: affordable housing, neighborhood safety, youth activities and much, much more.

Your community may be in contact with one of these teams, but all of their research may be relevant to the issues you are addressing. Click to the Horizons website http://www.horizons.wsu.edu/project/horizons3/community.html to read about their work.

WAG: Wellness Action Group Meeting

2009-07-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

The Wellness Action Group will meet in a third community meeting:

Senior Center in Grand Coulee Thursday night at 6:30.

The core WAG group has been busy getting an education in community centers and has come to believe things even I would not have embraced a week ago. Time to get everyone up to speed and get some working assignments out there for anyone willing to be involved.

I'll have a video tour ready of three sites we've visited in the last couple weeks. Here's sneak peek:

Scott Hunter

Come on! Jump in and make a splash for your community! Get involved!

Photo Credit: Flickr by Éole

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

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

WAG: Wellness Action Group Tours

2009-07-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

WAG: Wellness Action Group Tours
Community Center
Is it possible?

Yes! The WAG tour group included Scott Hunter, Bill Black, Michelle Campobasso, Phil Hansen, Tom Jensen, Troy Johnson, Rick Morton, Nate Piturachsatit, Jerry Sands, Jesse Utz and Christy Price.

The group toured impressive community centers that began with similar dreams as this community has envisioned. They visited centers in Usk, Washington and Plummer and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Is it possible? According to a report of the committee in The Star Online, "First, the business side. The revenue sources possible to help pay for the ongoing expenses of a good community center are surprisingly robust. Usk, about the size of the town of Coulee Dam, is drawing members to its YMCA-like program from as far away as north Spokane (over an hour’s drive) because the place is beautiful and functional... the fact that they can do THAT, tells me that we can do SOMETHING to make our community more livable for ourselves and our children, more attractive to newcomers and more sustainable culturally and economically. If we pull together on this, we can."

Click here to read the full article, and when your community needs your help and ideas, please dive in so we can make this happen, for all of us.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC by Paul Nicholson

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

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

WAG: Wellness Action Group

2009-07-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

WAG: Wellness Action Group
Finding A Direction

On Wednesday June 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Coulee Senior Center, community members took the next steps in moving towards a common vision for Nespelem, Elmer City, Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee, and Electric City.

The group included leaders from the community, including Coulee Area Park and Recreation district Commissioner Susan Chaffee, Grand Coulee Counclmember Solveig Chaffee, Electric City Mayor Jerry Sands and council members Rick Morton and Birdie Hensley. In addition several organizations were represented: PTA, Rotary, Lions, and Moose Lodge.

The group dreamed a mighty vision for the community: a community center with a convention center, an auditorium, an aquatic center, day care, and more. Why? Because such a establishment would center the community with a gathering place that meets many needs: fitness, health care, day care, meetings, performances, etc. Such a benefit would keep families in the community and provide employment.

How could this dream become a reality? The participants decided that a committee needed to bring all possibilities together. Several people volunteered, including some grant writers: Bill Black, Glen Raymond, Christy Price, Troy Johnson, Phil Hansen, and Scott Hunter, with alternates and resources to be Tom Jensen, Rick Morton, Jerry Sands, Nate Piturachsatit, and Jess Utz. The committee, The Wellness Action Group (WAG), would meet to tour several other small communities who built their dream centers.

With a community vision focusing on wellness for the whole community, a definite benefit would be to provide resources that alleviate poverty.

How do you think a community center would benefit our community -- all of our community, from Nespelem to Electric City? Are we moving in a positive directon?

Please comment. Thank you.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC by cafemama

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

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

Visioning: Your Community Needs You

2009-06-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

What's Happened?

On June 10th, the Grand Coulee Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored a community meeting at the Senior Center in Grand Coulee so community people could take control and offer ideas to reduce poverty and improve the community for everyone.

The Horizons Project is moving into the Visioning phase. The article Community center meeting calls for another bigger one --Momentum builds for a new facility

in the Star Online notes:

"The goal of the meeting is to gain an approval in principlel for the community center goal from as many facets of the community as possible.

Items up for discussion will include considering:

• what types of facilities should be included in the overall plan, such as a swimming pool/aquatic center, small convention facility, daycare, gym, skate rink,

• possible location sites,

• funding possibilities."

What's Happening?

Community members will address the ideas from the Action Forum and move forward with skills developed at Leadership Plenty to form partnerships (like with the Chamber of Commerce, Hospital, Government, etc.), form a 501c3, and apply for grants to achieve the community's vision.

Next week, Wednesday June 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Coulee Senior Center, come as a community member to take the next steps in moving towards a common vision for Nespelem, Elmer City, Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee, and Electric City.

Please bring your ideas and join the future.

Click image to download flyer.

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

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

A Step Closer: Community Center Meeting Needs Your Input

2009-03-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

We're a step closer to solving answers to these questions:

Worried about access to child care?

Interested in more activities for everyone, especially the youth?

Want to create an active community?

Would you want to see a focal point of community spirit?

Join other community members from Nespelem, Elmer City, Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee, and Electric City at the Coulee Dam Community Church on Thursday, March 26th at 5:30.

If you step up to add your input, YOU can help make all of these a reality.

Please leave your footprint on a positive future for our community.

Photo Credit:
Flickr Commons by szeretlek_ma beginning and mattbuck4950 end

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

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

Leadership to Action

2009-03-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

Module 7 - Moving from Talk to Action

Members of Leadership Plenty training group have completed their training and are ready to help the community move to action.
Ask yourself:

How does the organization work together to implements its goals in the neighborhood or community? What happens as a result of these actions?

How do leaders of the organization know if they have accomplished what they set out to do?

Do you sense a far-reaching vision for what the organization really wants to accomplish in the community? What is that vision?

What kinds of knowledge and skills would enhance the organization’s ability to work together to plan for that vision?

A main lesson from Leadership Plenty is that all of us in the community have qualities that guide leadership to action.

Will you join the spirit and add your expertise as we progress to developing resources that help all of us. We can move from poverty to prosperity together.

CONTACT

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

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Another great resource with ideas from other communities is:

http://www.everyday-democracy.org/

Subscribe to their newsletter.

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

Community Center, Child Care, Leadership Meetings

2009-01-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

Important Community Meetings ---
Please come to one! Be part of the solution!

January 21st Leadership Plenty 5:30-9:30 5:30 Dinner

January 22nd Community Center Meeting 5:30 Dinner

January 24th Child Care Needs Meeting 2:00-4:00

All at: Coulee Dam Presbyterian Community Church in Coulee Dam

Leadership Plenty 3

What: the third session of leadership training – The first and second training sessions were very productive and engaging! Clock Hours available.

When: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 from 5:30-9:30

Where: Coulee Dam Community Church

Dinner will be served at 5:30 pm and the training will start soon after. Remember, you can join in at any point in these trainings, you do not have to attend each one. They will be every Wednesday for the next 8 weeks or so; same place, same time.

Childcare available. Money available to pay adult care in your home. You will need to arrange for your own care provider and then complete a reimbursement form at the meeting. Please RSVP to me, indicating the # of children, if you will be attending the meeting and will be requesting reimbursement. This will ensure that I have enough cash available.

There is also gas money available if you need assistance.

Thank you!

Community Center Meeting

What: Focus on Goals

Where: The next meeting Community Center Action Team will be held by the Community Center Action Team will be January 22, 5:30 pm. at the Community Church in Coulee Dam. Dinner and Child Care provided. Gas money available.

Why: Our team believes that a centrally located community center would greatly benefit this area. We envision a facility that could offer social activities, learning activities, health and wellness programs, etc for all ages. We believe that this could have great potential to benefit all aspects of our community from the schools, to the senior programs, hospitals, clinics, even the police department.

It is our hope that we will be able to come together in this endeavor to strengthen our community and possibly work toward consolidating many of our individual programs into one unit working together.

Child Care Town Hall

What: We will be holding a town-hall-type meeting on Saturday, January 24 from 2-4pm at the Coulee Dam Community Presbyterian Church in Coulee Dam (across from the Tribal Museum). Free trained childcare will be provided at the church. Gas money available.

What: The team is looking for community members to partner with us as we approach this broad, important subject. Our main areas of focus will be on the need for childcare facilities and additional preschool options. We need your ideas, experiences, concerns and expertise, even if you would not like to be directly involved long-term.

This group is made possible by the support of the Horizons grant program for Grand Coulee. Please RSVP to Kevin Lind at kevinllind@gmail.com or 631-0774 if you plan to attend or have any questions.

Photo by Sheri Edwards: Snow Fort by Kids in Coulee Dam

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

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

Synergetic Strengths

2009-01-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

Synergy: the cooperation of members such that the resulting combined effect of their work is better than the effect caused by the effect of one member's work

Focus on strengths. What does that mean? It means that four towns and one tribe have five times the resources available; call on them. It means that diverse ideas provide more options. It means that many small events combined meet more needs.

Module Two in Leadership Plenty helped attendees refocus limitations to reducing poverty through a lens of strengths. They found creative and nontraditional ways to work with leadership assets within the organization and the greater community for a synergistic effect.

"Individuals, associations, and institutions -- these three major categories contain within them much of the asset base of every community." The evening event brought these avenues together while planning for economic development, resource books, child care, and a community center.

"Deficit-based thinking discourages action, fragments communities, and encourages dependence on outsiders."

Rather than worry about the problems created by different governmental agencies (towns, tribal, parks), instead focus on the resources available -- probably many more than other areas.

Build strengths: find unusual partnerships, and bring traditional and nontraditional leaders together.

What does that look like? Just one example from the synergy of the group brought forward by Janice Elvidge:

Assimilate all the various school and church child care and after school activities under one umbrella in order to highlight for grantors all that we already do in separate venues, and the services of which would greatly improve under one community center.

Real change will only occur when we engage the full community: school, church, associations, institutions, individuals. Won't you join us? Please contact:

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

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

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

Life Stories: Steve

2009-01-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

Who: Steven R. Carson

Occupation: Colville Tribes Parks & Recreation

Years in Community: I moved to Elmer City when I was 6 years old. I lived in the area until I was 23. My wife and I then moved to Florida for 2 years to attend college. After some training and experience we moved back to the area to raise our family.

Education: High School Diploma 2001, Training at SEU Florida.

Favorite community memory: I am big on taking advantage of the great outdoors. I love fishing, hunting, camping, and hiking. My favorite community memory is before 9/11 we were able to fish below the Dam on the rocks, and above off the east side of the Dam. You could always see others teaching the kids how to fish.

Hopes for community: That we all could see and vision the potential our whole surrounding area has and can become.

Why I am part of the project: To help be a voice and solution in bringing out that potential.

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

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

Working toward a Community Center

2009-01-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

Who: Horizons Action Teams

What: Three Action Teams have come out of the Horizons Program: A Childcare Action Team, Resource Action Team, and a Community Center Action Team.

Where: The next meeting Community Center Action Team will be held by the Community Center Action Team will be January 22, 5:30 pm. at the Community Church in Coulee Dam. Dinner and Child Care provided

Why: Our team believes that a centrally located community center would greatly benefit this area. We envision a facility that could offer social activities, learning activities, health and wellness programs, etc for all ages. We believe that this could have great potential to benefit all aspects of our community from the schools, to the senior programs, hospitals, clinics, even the police department.

It is our hope that we will be able to come together in this endeavor to strengthen our community and possibly work toward consolidating many of our individual programs into one unit working together.

Agenda: Focus on setting goals

Learn more about the Horizons program @ http://horizons.wsu.edu/ and follow our progress by visiting our blog site http://grandcoulee-wa.blogspot.com/

Photo Credit: Tape Art - Education and works in progress at Flickr Commons

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

Learn more about the Horizons program @ http://horizons.wsu.edu/

Reminder

2009-01-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

What: the second session of leadership training – The first training session was very productive and engaging!

When: tomorrow evening, Wednesday, January 14, 2009 from 5:30-9:00

Where: Coulee Dam Community Church

Dinner will be served at 5:30 pm and the training will start soon after. Remember, you can join in at any point in these trainings, you do not have to attend each one. They will be every Wednesday for the next 8 weeks or so; same place, same time.

Unfortunately, we will NOT have childcare at the next meeting. There is money available to pay for childcare/adult care in your home. You will need to arrange for your own care provider and then complete a Child Care reimbursement form at the meeting. Please RSVP to me, Mary Schilling, indicating the number of children, if you will be attending the meeting and will be requesting reimbursement for childcare. This will ensure that I have enough cash available.

There is also gas money available if you need assistance.

Mary Schilling

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

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

Childcare Action Team to Hold Community Forum

2009-01-11T23:21:00.000-08:00

Child Care Forum Press Release:
Childcare Action Team to Hold Community Forum

Do you have young children or grandchildren? Have you ever worked in childcare or early childhood development? Have you noticed a need for childcare and preschool in our community? We want to hear from all of you!

The Community Childcare Action Team is a group of community members who are concerned about our children, the availability of quality and lasting childcare options for them, and the opportunities for preschool in our community. As one community member recently said, “Children are the center of any community.” If we want to invest in our future, we ought to start by investing in our children.

We will be holding a town-hall-type meeting on Saturday, January 24 from 2-4pm at the Coulee Dam Community Presbyterian Church in Coulee Dam (across from the Tribal Museum). Free trained childcare will be provided at the church.

The team is looking for community members to partner with us as we approach this broad, important subject. Our main areas of focus will be on the need for childcare facilities and additional preschool options. We need your ideas, experiences, concerns and expertise, even if you would not like to be directly involved long-term.

This group is made possible by the support of the Horizons grant program for Grand Coulee. Please RSVP to Kevin Lind at kevinllind@gmail.com or 631-0774 if you plan to attend or have any questions.

Photo Credit: Flickr: Creative Commons by doviende

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

Coulee Stuff: Resources when you need them

2009-01-11T22:50:00.000-08:00

Shelly Stine, Lake Roosevelt High School Resource Room Teacher and community member for almost thirty years, envisioned one place people could find information when needed. Situations arise in which health care, employment opportunity, or child care information is needed immediately.

With five towns, four counties, and a tribal government encompassing our area, people don't often know where the services exist.

As part of her Masters Degree from Washington State University, she searched out that collection of resources for her hometown and the families that needed them. She published a booklet and disseminated the information. Yet, the information still seemed elusive.

Shelly joined the HORIZONS Project and discovered that her work fed right into one of the group's goals: a centralized information area for people in need of services.

An action team formed, comprised of Roberta Haines, Alan Cain, Sheri Edwards, and Shelly. After discussion during HORIZONS meetings and as a committee, the team created a wiki (PB Wiki -- for Peanut Butter Wiki) that could easily be updated collaboratively and available any place with Internet access. The team's dream includes kiosks and a published booklet. The goal is to provide information in a central as well as frequently visited areas so access is available for people who need to find the information.

If you have information that needs to be added, or if you have a need for information, please contact Shelly Stine, whose vision has provided not only the heart of the project, but also the focus for the future.

And, please, visit the site and offer suggestions; we're just starting -- but what a start, thanks to Shelly. She's an example of a community leader committed to finding many ways to reduce poverty.

Welcome to Coulee Stuff !

A resource guide for needed services for health, families, emergencies, etc.

http://couleestuff.pbwiki.com/

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

Crushed Red Pepper or Nutmeg?

2009-01-11T21:38:00.001-08:00

HOPE Fueled by Action Sandwiches
Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 14th
at the Coulee Dam Community Church

Leadership Plenty plans for just that: Leadership. Understand that:

Everyone in the community has potential to be a leader.
Everyone possesses leadership skills that can serve to effect change in the community.
Leadership skils and techniques enable us to weave a shared vision and respond to a call to action.

Under the guidance of skilled local community leaders trained by Leadership Plenty, the participants spiced up their personal leadership qualities. Jesse Utz, Amanda Poch, and Nate Piturachsatit led the groups in several activities that clarified the benefits of various leadership styles.

Think about it: Is your style crushed red pepper -- you take charge to get action? Or are you more like a pinch of nutmeg, a subtle reminder of either the big picture or the needed detail. Both styles of leadership encourage success in goals as they balance out the rush to act with pause for reflection.

As one member commented, "Poverty can be alleviated with good leadership." And through the Leadership Plenty modules of active learning, the participants developed trust and skills to help them obtain a vision for two of the community's needs (Community Center and Resource Guide) to which the leadership skills will provide the drive to action.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 14th at the Coulee Dam Community Church

Come and help create the vision to reduce poverty in our community. Your leadership style is needed.

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

Stories in the Community: Lisa

2009-01-11T21:01:00.000-08:00

Who: Lisa Carson

Occupation: Stay-at-home mom with two girls.

Years in Community: eight-ish. I moved here after I graduated from high school in Neah Bay Washington. I grew up on different Indian reservations with my dad working for the Indian Health Services. My mom's roots are here on the Colville reservation (mine too) and I wanted to return here to learn more about my culture and to be with my family. I am now married to a Colville tribal member, and we have decided to raise our daughters here.

Education: High school-year 2000. AA&S from Big Bend Community College, Some training from SEU FL.

Favorite community memory: When I first moved here I was involved with a group from Nespelem that was called the HOPE group which meant Helping Our People Elevate. We held a few Fun-Nights for the kids up in Nespelem, and I remember one of those times when we met at the Nespelem Community Center. It was a great turn out and the whole gym was packed with kids running all over the place. There was so much going on that I didn't quite know where to jump in. All I remember is seeing a couple hula-hoops laying around, and the next thing I remember is cheering a bunch of kids on as we competed in the ultimate hula-hooping tournament! It was pretty amazing and I never laughed so much in my whole life; those kids are awesome! That whole evening was awesome. It's a great memory.

Also another great memory: Spring Canyon! Honestly, what beats that? Spring Canyon is such a great place to go in the summer. It is always packed with tons of families, food, and fun ~ the recipe for greatness!

Hopes for community: I would hope that our community from Nespelem to Electric City would be a place where every family could thrive.

Why I am part of the project: I want to be a part of helping this community reach its potential. This is a great place to live, but I would like to see more community activities for the kids in school, and also for the young adults all the way up to the elders in the community. I'm hoping that this program can help bring in a community center that would be welcoming for everyone here, and I envision seeing people from all ages, all backgrounds and all walks of life intermingling there and sharing life together.

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

Save this date: January 7th: Leadership Plenty

2008-12-29T18:57:00.000-08:00

Please join the solution:

Leadership Plenty Training provided by WSU and Horizons will be a thought provoking training, teaching future and current leaders how to accomplish group goals and tasks. This training is offered to everyone in the Grand Coulee Dam Area including (Nespelem, Elmer City, Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee, Electric City, Delano and outlying areas. This is being offered for free, dinner is provided, child care is available. Also Adult home care is also provided. Local instructors will guide and teach as we learn how to use the assets that are currently available in our community, break down barriers that exist and keep us from moving forward as a team, preparing action plans, having a vision and evaluations, and much more.

This training is beneficial to Business owners, Council members, group organizers, employees looking to lead, High School Youth, and anyone else looking to further thier knowledge of Leading.

Event Details:

First Meeting: January 7, 2009

Contact:

Jesse Utz - production@couleegraphics.com

Location:

Community Church in Coulee Dam

Event Time:

5:30pm - 9:30pm

Link to PowerPoint about Leadership Plenty
Leadership Plenty Modules and Images

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

All Things Are Possible

2008-12-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, December 11th, Jesse Utz facilitated members of previous Study Circles to share the dialogues of the different group suggestions to move the community forward in an effort to reduce poverty. Each group presented its ideas.

The Sunday group, led by Kevin Lind, imagined that our community could be "A community welcoming opportunity and tradition."

Mary Schilling explained that her Thursday group envisioned this community as embracing the ideals of "unity, harmony, growth, vision, and opportunity."

Another Thursday Study Circle team, explained by Bob Lambert, discovered that this community already supports many resources, including food banks and transportation systems, but that not everyone knows about them. People are unaware partly because of the many different entities represented by our community: five towns, four counties, two park systems, and the Colville Conferderated Tribes. Shelly Stine already has created a resource book based on these areas.

The consensus of this grass-roots group of engaged citizens is to consider these possibilites:
a community center, economic development, child care, community resource guide, elderly care, and town consolidation.

Next, the participants chose areas of focus to begin a process of problem-solving. Each Action Team/Task Force will recruit more people to be involved; the goal is to energize the community into actions needed to complete the solutions.

Rick Morton's comment summed up the general feeling of hope: "If we can make a sense of community, then maybe we can progress to unity."

With that idea, and with new members (hopefully YOU), these task forces will
begin the basic actions:

Future Action Meetings

Community Center
Focus Leader: Mary Schilling
Amanda Poch
Steve Carson

Next meeting:
January 8th
5:30 PM
Siam

Resource Guide and Resource Center
Focus Leader: Shelly Stine
Alan Cain
Sheri Edwards
Roberta Haines

Next meeting:
January 8th
5:30 PM
Alan’s

Economic Development
Focus Leader: Rick Morton
Scott Hunter

Next meeting:
January 8th
7:00 PM
Rick’s

Child Care
Focus Leader: Kevin Lind

Next meeting:
January 24th
2:00 PM
Town Hall Meeting
Community Church, Coulee Dam

Future Teams:
Town Consolidation
Elderly Care

Finally, Nate Piturachsatit explained that the Leadership Plenty Team (Amanda Poch, Jesse Utz, and Nate) will begin training community members in civic skills to identify problems and plan actions to solve those problems. Those meetings commence from January 7th to March 18 with clock hours available. Come to some or all of the meetings at the Community Church to develop skills that will benefit you in many ways: personal, community, work, politics, etc.

This is a process -- not all citizens have participated in every meeting, but each knows that the goal is to engage the citizens of this community to help solve the problems of poverty by participating on three levels as each citizen can: individual, group, and community. The action/task groups above are starting points, and not all members will attend all meetings. So, please, consider attending some of the meetings to help out. Contact Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or mschilling@gcdsd.org

Come help develop the "unity" in "community."

As Amanda Poch understands after her training, "All things are possible."

Join us:

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

Contact Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or mschilling@gcdsd.org

Stories in the Community: Bob

2008-12-12T19:44:00.000-08:00

Who: Bob Lambert

Occupation: Minister, Grand Coulee Church of the Nazarene
Years in Community: 9

Education --- HS, Year; College, Year: Moreno Valley High School class of 1975, 3 years at Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego CA.

Favorite community memory: The building of the original skate park

Hopes for community: That we will come together and truly be a community

Why you are part of the project: Hopefully to make a difference

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

Stories in the Community: Jeremy

2008-12-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

Who: Jeremy Miller, 25,

I enjoy hunting, fishing, skiing, and baseball. I enjoy helping out our youth and am currently a YoungLife leader and an assistant coach for the high school wrestling team. I train a group of kids in baseball once a week. I truly believe it is my purpose in life to love God and that he has put me here to guide our youth to him.

Occupation: U.S. Park Ranger

Years in Community: 23

Education: Lake Roosevelt 2001 ; WSU 2005 w/ Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources (Major in Wildland Recreation Management)

Favorite community memory: Making the "Colorama Mud Bowl" in my senior class for the Colorama Parade

Hopes for community: To find some object or idea to base our town around, be it the dam or our school athletics...our town seems to be missing a sense of spirit, in many ways.

Why I am part of the project: No idea, I (or maybe it's other people) tend to get myself involved in lots of stuff somehow; I guess it's just another item to add to all that stuff

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

Stories in the Community: Shelly

2008-12-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

Who: Shelly Marie Stine, Ed.M.

Occupation: LRHS Resource Room Teacher

Years in Community: 30 plus

Education: Ed. M. -Summer 2008-Special Education

Favorite community memory: Colorama is one of course! I remember the parade used to seem so huge to me. My family lived across from Center school and we'd always get woke up early every year by all the noise of the bands and floats unloading and getting ready to perform. I loved to see the clowns and horses too. There were many nice cars and tons of floats back then. It was also ok to throw candy to the crowd, and we got a load yearly! As I grew older I got to participate in the parade in various ways for many years. Colorama has always been a time when people who have not been to the Coulee return to see old friends and family. Each year, I see fewer and fewer people returning to say hello to their elementary school buddies at Colorama time. More people are moving out and they never come back. I myself am considering a move to a city to have more opportunities for my own children, but realize I would be trading a standard of living that can't be the same in the city as it is here; where many of my friends and family are. Regardless of all this, we went last year to all the events-flea market, carnival, rodeo, and parade, and we had fun-we always do and we'd miss it if it disappeared one day.

Hopes for community: There are many things around here you just simply cannot do anymore. We used to be able to swim in the pool, skate on the ice, ride our motorcycles at the PUD, the airport, and Barker's Canyon, etc. It's hard to stay positive when opportunities for health, physically fit activities are taken away. It makes a person wonder what they are supposed to be replaced with? Drugs & alcohol, obesity, much of the boredom youth complain about today. We need to gain some of the things back that we have lost around here. We can't make the lake freeze, but we could make a motocross park. We could build a pool if we could come to a consensus about where to put it. We did that with the skate park. Have you ever been with someone just driving back into and around the Coulee for the first time in many years? I have. It's weird to see how drastic it all looks to them. We who live here have lived through it all these years; maybe we don't notice or feel it as much as we should because we are here everyday, but if you ever are driving around with someone who hasn't been back in years, be prepared to hear a lot about how crappy and awfully sad it looks and is around here. Funny thing is-they're right. Sort-of. We have a lot to our credit and we can do a lot to make it better and build some pride in our youth at the same time.

Why I am part of the project: To become more involved in the local community and gain a better perspective of others' thinking and improve education and other opportunities in the area. To try to help improve on some of my complaints above; schools, opportunities; and sense of community.

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

Action Meeting Thurs, Dec. 11 We need you!

2008-12-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

UPDATE

What:

Multiple Study Circle groups have met. Each group discussed the problem of poverty in our community, identified the assets available here, and then developed priority action ideas.

These are solution ideas that we will now review as group in order to form a plan for action. Five community members attended a fantastic training opportunity in Spokane to help guide us. We are now ready to choose projects to move forward on and form action groups.

JOIN US ! All are welcome!

What: Review our Action Ideas
Move to action.

When: Thursday, December 11th, 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Where: Coulee Dam PResbyterian/Community Church
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 email: mschilling@gcdsd.org

Free Dinner

HORIZONS: Community Leaders Reducing Poverty

Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all.

Stories in the Community: Kevin

2008-12-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

Who: Kevin Lind

Occupation: Pastor, Coulee Dam Community Church, Presbyterian (USA)

Years in Community: 6 months

Education: Prairie High School, Vancouver, WA 1999; Whitworth College, 2003

Favorite community memory:
I don't have to remember back too far, as a newcomer to the community, but I very much enjoyed the Native American Day celebration the schools held at the middle school fields. It was a great community event celebrating the heritage of many in our community, yet enjoyed by all, students and adults as well. I am grateful for the way the schools bring many different people in our community together on a regular basis.

Hopes for community: I hope that we can have a community that everyone feels like they can belong to instead of many separate communities within our area. I hope that everyone can be proud to be a part of that community and can play a role in its unique character as we form it together.

Why I am part of the project: To work together with others to begin forming this united community, celebrating all the positive gifts this community has to offer and building on those gifts to see our community thrive.

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

Stories in the Community: Mary

2008-12-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

Who: Mary Schilling

Occupation: Grant writer/administrator

Years in Community: 7

Education: Whitworth College, 1994, Bachelors in Biology

Favorite community memory: Mill Pond Days in Nespelem

Hopes for community: For us to focus on the positive instead of the negative and to be the change that we want to see.

Why I am part of the project: To be a part of the solution.

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

Stories in the Community: Rob

2008-12-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

Who: Rob Hughes

Occupation: Pharmacist

Years in Community: 11

Education: Eastmont High School 1988, Washington State University 1993

Favorite community memory: Planet Earth Players performances

Hopes for community: Quality Education

Why I am part of the project: Someone asked me

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

Stories in the Community: Nate

2008-12-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

Who: Nate Piturachsatit

Occupation: 6th grade teacher

Years in community: 20 years

Education: Lake Roosevelt 1996, Whitworth College 2001

Favorite community memory:
I'm going to go with a more recent memory, the Grand Columbian Triathlon. What a cool event to have here in the Coulee, and it was great to see all the people from the area help out to make it possible. There were so many world class athletes here and watching them compete was unbelievable. I hope this is something this community has the chance to be apart of for a while.

Hopes for the community:
...that there would be a greater sense of pride in this community. After living here over a year I have seen so many good things happening, and yet there seems to be this negativity that permeates through all the positives in this community; it destroys the possibilities this place has. There are so many good things happening in this area. We need to move ourselves toward those postive conversations and stay away from the negative.

Why I am a part of this project:
...to give back. As a youth I was always asking myself, "What can this area do for me?" I was selfish. Nothing of value comes about when we are always looking to take from someone or something else. Now I'm asking myself, "What can I do to help make this place better for me and for everyone else?" It's a paradigm shift for me that took some time to complete, but now I know I'm on the right track. There is potential in everyone, and I would like to help bring that out.

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

Stories in the Community: Jesse

2008-12-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

Who: Jesse Utz

Occupation: Fire Fighter, Business Owner, “Voice of the Raiders.”

Years in Community: 35 years

Education: Lake Roosevelt High School, 1992

Favorite community memory:
When I was a kid, Colorama was a big deal. We wanted to do it all. The Carnival was at on the Middle School Field and seemed a lot bigger than what we have now. The Flea market was on the street in front of the Coulee Dam Post Office and had lots of options, but I can remember always being drawn to the booth that had kid stuff and gag gifts. There was also a beer tent, a street dance, an art show, the rodeo, and a soap box derby. But I remember the parade most of all; it was huge. It seemed like a full two hours with marching bands and floats from every town around our area. It was fun for all, and it seemed that everyone was having fun.

Hopes for community:
That someday soon, that all our leaders and members will unite. We have the potential here to set the bar high and achieve whatever we set our minds to. There are families living among us that struggle on a day to day basis, and we need to help them with a loving hand and teach them how to sustain themselves in our community. We need to love one another no matter the race, sex, or status. We need to promote business, which in turn will provide jobs, stimulate the economy, and attract newcomers. We need to accept change and learn that in this day we can make a difference. We can thrive and be contributors to a healthy, strong community of families, workers, seniors, and youth. We can give hope to all that choose to live in or visit our community. We can no longer ignore the problems in our area; we must work together as a team to accomplish a lighthouse community to be seen by all, to all feel safe, and to cultivate all our dreams to succeed.

Why I am part of the project:
I want to give back, or “Pay it Forward”. I came from a low income family with alcohol and drug problems. I thought when I was a kid that I was destined for the same, and I lived that way for years. But there were people out there that saw potential for me even when I did not. Every youth in our community needs to have hope and dreams that are positive ones; and we need to help them cultivate those dreams. I want to help them do this. But not just Youth, I want help everyone that needs a step or push in the right direction. From poverty to drug addiction, from unemployment to education, from business to our schools, from racism to our seniors. We need to help those in need and I feel this project will do that.

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

Stories in the Community: Amanda

2008-12-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

Who: Amanda Poch

Occupation: Paraprofessional at Center Elementary and After School program leader for 4th, 5th and 6th grades

Years in Community: Almost 25 years

Education: Lake Roosevelt High School 2002; Washington State University, Hospitality Business Management, 2006; Working towards a Masters in Teaching through Western Governors University.

Favorite community memory: The candle light vigil that was held at Mason City Park after 9/11. It was an eye-opening moment for me as a high school senior to really see the caliber of people we have in our community.

Hopes for community: My hopes are for the people of our community to realize that anything is possible. The only thing stopping change is not believing it can happen.

Why I am part of the project: I am a firm believer that a person should not complain about something unless they are doing something to fix it. I want to see our community reach its potential, so I'm going to work for it.

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

Who has community vision?

2008-12-06T16:06:00.000-08:00

Leadership Plenty Training

L-R:
Jennelle Kerner, Horizons Coach
Amanda Poch, Jesse Utz, Nate Piturachsatit

Bob Lambert, Muriel Meyer (Colville Community Member), Sheri Edwards

Who has community vision?

Amanda Poch, Jesse Utz, Bob Lambert, and Nate Piturachasatit demonstrated leadership, presentation, and visioning skills while learning about the ten modules of civic change from the Leadership Plenty Training. They learned that "the “plenty” in community leadership comes from recognizing the wealth of capacities that people in the community possess." Their role is to develop this community leadership to mobilize change.

What's so special about these four people?

One thing:

They are ordinary people who stepped forward so that, together, they can do the extraordinary with others like them. They mobilize assets to solve community problems; they believe their community can move forward.

Please read their stories:

Amanda Poch
Bob Lambert
Jesse Utz
Nate Piturachsatit

Will you step forward to move our community forward? Will you add your vision?

Please call or email: 633-3033 Mary Schilling.

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

Communities: Moving Forward with People Power

2008-12-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

How does a community move forward?

People in the community must step forward in order for the community to move forward.

Where is the community moving?

To a vision! --But whose vision?

That's the goal -- a vision for and from the community.

What's the vision for our community?

In our community, through the Horizons Project, ordinary citizens like you and Amanda, Bob, Jesse, and Nate gather together to share their visions, to create a community vision of prosperity. Through community action, the vision becomes reality.

Who are these citizens?

You!

This project needs everyone's voice and vigor; your involvement begins with a phone call: 633-3303, Mary Schilling. Your involvement can be what you can do: a phone caller, a researcher, a volunteer at events, a planner, etc. Right now, we need ideas; don't you have a few to share for our community? Please join those who have already stepped forward.

Who have already stepped forward?

As many as fifty people have attended various activities so far: initial meeting, Study Circles, Leadership Plenty Training. Please read our previous blogs and view the slideshows of the Tuesday/Thursday Study Circles 1 and 2 and the Leadership Plenty Training.

Please come to the next meeting, December 11th, 5:30-8:30 PM, in the Community Church in Coulee Dam to help begin our action process for our community.

Please step forward and join the journey.

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

Leadership Plenty Graduates: Empowered Citizens

2008-12-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

At the Leadership Plenty Training, Amanda Poch, Jesse, Utz, and Nate Piturachasatit represented our community to learn the skills we need to create and act on a community vision that we, together, imagine to move our community forward. Their graduation represents the first step in mobilizing our community vision to move our community forward.

How can we move our community forward? Join to help!

HORIZONS: Community Leaders Reducing Poverty
Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all.
Call 633-3033

An Opportunity for Thanks

2008-12-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

From Leadership Plenty

Jesse, Nate, and Amanda thanked Cathy McMorris-Rodgers for her help and guidance in our local school issue.

Congressional aides, state senators and representatives, federal authorities, and school officials had gathered in our local schools on November 12th to tour and talk about the questionable status of our local school facilities. This is indeed one of our local needs as those officials agreed that:

• The district needs new schools.

• School building funding is difficult.

School district board Chair Donna DeWinkler, and Sheila Stalp, deputy director for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, who represents Washington’s fifth congressional district in the nation’s capitol, arranged the tour and discussion.

Our HORIZONS Leadership Plenty Team took the opportunity to thank U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers after she spoke at noon on December 3rd to the attendees at the HORIZONS Conference in Spokane at the Washington State University campus.

For more information on the school building issue, see this article in The Star newspaper.

McMorris-Rodgers Recognizes HORIZONS

2008-12-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

From Leadership Plenty

Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, Representative for Eastern Washington, spoke to the participants of the Leadership Plenty Training Conference in Spokane.

She acknowledged the excellent work of local communities whose grass-roots organization has been driven by the HORIZONS grant and training.

She recognized the local efforts in communities, such as Northport and Springdale, whose area residents understand that each person holds a capacity for leadership. These community members added their own leadership role and invited more members to share their leadership to solve the needs of each community. Community parks, farmers markets, and community centers were the result of ordinary citizens believing they could make change for the better, thus allowing extraordinary results.

Representative McMorris-Rodgers pointed to the possibilities for growth in Eastern Washington based on what already exists: excellent medical records facilitation and new energy resources, as examples. By building from what we have using the people resources of communities, our prospects for the future will grow. The HORIZONS Project proves this to be true. Click on “Community Mobilization” in the sidebar for recent news of our community to see how our residents have begun the HORIZONS Way of grass-roots solutions to community needs.

Please come to the next meeting, December 11th, 5:30-8:30 PM, in the Community Church in Coulee Dam to help begin our action process for our community.

Public Relations Training: Take Control

2008-12-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

From Leadership Plenty

Pamela Roberts of Washington State University, Jefferson County Extension 4-H Youth Development shared her expertise on blogging to the advanced bloggers of the HORIZONS Project. We learned to take control of our shots to create a story and history of our progress to eliminate poverty.

Photo credit: Pamela Roberts, Horizons-PR.

Leadership Plenty

2008-12-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

Community members from the Study Circles Sessions have gathered in Spokane for Horizons Project "Leadership Plenty" training sessions to enable success in the grassroots program to reduce poverty.

"LeadershipPlenty® curriculum consists of nine modules that address primary civic skills that enable graduates to confidently identify problems in their communities and implement a plan of action to combat those problems." -- from the Horizons Website.

Participants Jesse, Amanda, and Nate will learn:
Building Partnerships
Moving from Talk to Action
Valuing Evaluation
Communicating for Change.

They will return to guide other leaders in the community to learn the strategies that have proven to move communities from poverty to prosperity. More information is available at the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, including this powerpoint.

Sheri and Bob attend sessions on communications and public relations, of which this blog is a component.

These are ordinary people hoping to work with others for extraordinary change.

Please join us --

Call or Email:
Mary Schilling, Organization Contact
SHARP Kids/Mary Schilling at 633-3033 or mschilling@gcdsd.org

Sheri Edwards, Blogger

Words of Hope

2008-11-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-11T21:48:00.000-08:00

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 ----

2008-11-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-07T06:55:00.001-08:00

Please come to be heard!

We need your input.

Contact: mschilling@gcdsd.org

What is Horizons--Grand Coulee?

2008-11-07T06:40:00.001-08:00

HORIZONS

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TO REDUCE POVERTY

GRAND COULEE, WA AREA

Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all

“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.

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.

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

http://horizons.wsu.edu

Leadership Labels

2004-09-25T15:51:00.001-07:00

Please do not delete this post. NWAF and WSU Horizons requires labels to be added to each post.

Poverty Labels

2004-09-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Please do not delete this post. NWAF and WSU Horizons requires labels to be added to each post.

Community Labels

2004-09-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

Please do not delete this post. NWAF and WSU Horizons requires labels to be added to each post.