Meeting August 26: WAG Strategic Planning

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

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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!

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

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!

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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/

A Step Closer: Community Center Meeting Needs Your Input

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.

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Photo Credit:
Flickr Commons by szeretlek_ma beginning and mattbuck4950 end

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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/

Coulee Stuff: Resources when you need them

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.

Poverty Labels

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