Community Heart & Soul Stories

(Editor’s note: On October 1, 2018, an interactive map was released by the Equality of Opportunity Project that helps track social mobility in the U.S. Here’s a link to an…

On Memorial Day weekend, residents of the Thomaston, Georgia, area held their annual Emancipation Day Celebration. The event, which has been held in Thomaston since 1866, is the country’s longest-running…

Residents in Bellevue, Iowa (pop. 2,200) launched Community Heart & Soul® in 2016 focused on getting everyone involved in setting priorities for strengthening their town. The town received a $47,000…

When Galesburg on Track drafted an Action Plan as part of Community Heart & Soul, three elements emerged that encapsulated the Illinois city’s character—trains, planes, and Ferris wheels. The elements…

Callie Black brought a well-honed ability to navigate networks and connect people. Nancy Minott brought a natural talent for keeping the big picture in focus while taking lots of small…

When Jim and Jane Chandler moved to Maine in 1976, Jim immediately got involved in the community, helping to start a glass bottle recycling program. In the four decades since,…

Volunteers are an essential element of Community Heart & Soul® and key to making sure any project is resident-driven. Here Autumn Vogel, Project Coordinator for My Meadville, a Community Heart…

One of the strengths of Community Heart & Soul is that its impact has a ripple effect that changes the way a town does business—in a positive way. For one,…

Storytelling is an important aspect of any Community Heart & Soul® project. When residents share stories they can feel renewed pride of place and more valued in the community. Stories…

The start of 2018 marked a milestone for three Community Heart & Soul® towns. City councils in Bellevue, Iowa, Bucksport, Maine, and Galesburg, Illinois, adopted Heart & Soul Statements. Heart…