Community Heart & Soul Stories

Our recent webinar explored the timely issue of how to get Americans talking to each other civilly and get them engaged in government—two vital ingredients to a healthy democracy. Our…

Congratulations to Cumberland County Historical Society and Greater Carlisle Heart & Soul in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The historical society is being recognized for efforts to preserve an historic African American church…

This article from PM Magazine, March 2019, is reposted with permission from International City/County Management Association. By Scott Lazenby When I was in graduate school, I served as editor of…

HOW DO YOU REINVENT A RURAL ECONOMY? $100 AT A TIME This article first appeared in The Daily Yonder, February 13 2019. By Melody Warnick “Explore Elkin” takes small individual…

Christian Science Monitor Story Focuses on Orton Orton Family Foundation Executive Director David Leckey was recently featured in the Christian Science Monitor’s “People Making a Difference” series. David talks about…

Did you miss our webinar about Millennials who chose to live in towns and small cities? Hear how they are defying conventional wisdom about so-called “brain drain” from rural America. Ben…

Bucksport, Maine | The Town That Refused to Die This article first appeared in Yankee Magazine, November 2018. When the paper mill that had defined Bucksport, Maine, for eight decades…

Congratulations Meadville! The northwestern Pennsylvania city (pop. 13,338) was recognized for its Community Heart & Soul project, My Meadville, by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association. The award…

This post first appeared on the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation blog. Can I tell you about something that gives me chills and sends me running? October is Arts & Humanities Month.…

Whitney Kimball Coe is coordinator of the National Rural Assembly, a rural movement made up of activities and partnerships geared toward building better policy and more opportunity across the country.…