The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE — The Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, the Orton Family Foundation and Virginia Housing and Community Development presented a Community Heart and Soul leadership training session at DSLCC’s McCarthy Hall Monday.
Led by Jessica Hartness and Douglas Jackson of VHCD and assisted by Joan Wagner and Caitlyn Davison of the Orton Foundation, local leaders of the Alleghany Highlands gathered for Phase 1, Focused-In Training, of a four-phase process.
Phase 1 consisted of building the Heart and Soul Team, Developing a Work Planning System, Creating a communications strategy and hiring and onboarding a project coordinator.
Setting the ground rules consisted of the three principles of Heart and Soul: Involve everyone, focus on what matters most and playing the long game.
The audience was divided into various groups to come up with a community network analysis. This included community groups, demographics, group connectors, communication, engagement, and follow-up and reflection.
The group began by introducing themselves and sharing a place they enjoy visiting or happy memories of the Alleghany Highlands. Some mentioned Green Pastures, Longdale Furnace; the Jackson River Sport Complex, Covington; the Covington City Pool; the Historic Masonic Theatre, Clifton Forge; mountain biking and kayaking on the rivers in the Highlands.
This was the lead-in to get people sharing things, places and ideas in the Alleghany Highlands that mattered the most to them.
Another discussion involved making the Alleghany Highlands one community by one locality marketing events or activities in another locality.
And, finally, a discussion was held on how to include people, other than the decision makers that were present — first responders, day care providers, youth and the elderly — to discover what is important to everyone in the community.
The goal for the day was to come up with ways to welcome and include everyone in building one economic diverse community.
Community Heart and Soul’s mission is to find out what matters most to our residents and community through community input. This is to help our community become stronger, healthier and economically vibrant, while discovering and honoring the unique character of the Alleghany Highlands.
For more information on Heart and Soul, visit www.communityheartandsoul.org.
The Orton Family Foundation has been working in rural community development for 20 years. They have learned that the strength of a community lies in the hands and the hearts of the people who live there.
The Heart and Soul model focuses on deep resident engagement, discovering and embracing emotional connection within the community, and creating a foundation of hope that leads to new energy and excitement for action in small cities and towns.
Heart and Soul encourages communities to try new approaches to engagement and decision-making, while learning about themselves along the way.
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A Community Heart and Soul leadership training session was held Monday at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. Seated are Joan Wagner, left, and Caitlyn Davison of the Orton Foundation. Standing is Douglas Jackson of Virginia Housing and Community Development. The Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, DSLCC, the Orton Foundation and Virginia Housing and Community Development hosted Monday’s event. (P. E. Marshall Photo)
