Community Heart & Soul was founded by Lyman Orton, proprietor of the Vermont Country Store in Weston, Vermont, a small town of 640 residents where Orton grew up, served on the local planning commission and was inspirated to develop this program to help other small towns Orton states, “Small towns are America’s last best hope to focus on what residents have in common as opposed to allowing national politics divide them. After all, there are so few of us we all need to work together to run our towns and assure there are great places to live and raise our families.
Developed and field-tested over a decade in partnership with over 140 small cities and towns across America, Community Heart & Soul is a proven process for engaging a community in shaping its future.
Our Mission
Community Heart & Soul®, a nonprofit organization, builds stronger, healthier, and more economically vibrant small cities and towns across the United States through the Community Heart & Soul model, a resident-driven process that engages the entire population of a town in identifying what they love most about their community, what future they want for it, and how to achieve it.
Discover Your Community’s Heart & Soul
Learn how your town can bring more voices to the table and turn resident priorities into lasting action.