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The Community Heart & Soul process is completed over four phases to ensure that all members of the communities are involved.
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Imagine.
A group of volunteers started working in 2021 with our sponsors and funders to bring the Community Heart & Soul program to Akron and Westfield communities.
We received a grant from the Community Heart & Soul Foundation to jumpstart the program and funds were generously matched by businesses, organizations in the community.
The program launched with a number of projects and events, including renovating a pocket park in downtown Akron, a back to school pool party and more, and beginning to gather input from community members about what they love about our community.
We received a grant from the Community Heart & Soul Foundation to jumpstart the program and funds were generously matched by businesses, organizations in the community.
The program launched with a number of projects and events, including renovating a pocket park in downtown Akron, a back to school pool party and more, and beginning to gather input from community members about what they love about our community.
Connect and Listen
We started this phase in fall 2021 and continued through 2022 to gather ideas and input from community members of all ages, including:
- What brought you here?
- Why do you stay?
- What do you love most about this place
- When you think about the future here, what are your hopes and dreams?
More than 300 community members completed a survey with their perspectives and students at Akron-Westfield Community School participated in sharing their hopes for the future, too. A special Festival of Trees event was launched during Akron's Hometown Christmas celebration to gather input from community members of all ages. We also celebrated several exciting events in our communities, including groundbreaking for the family aquatic center in Akron and construction at Akron-Westfield CSD.
- What brought you here?
- Why do you stay?
- What do you love most about this place
- When you think about the future here, what are your hopes and dreams?
More than 300 community members completed a survey with their perspectives and students at Akron-Westfield Community School participated in sharing their hopes for the future, too. A special Festival of Trees event was launched during Akron's Hometown Christmas celebration to gather input from community members of all ages. We also celebrated several exciting events in our communities, including groundbreaking for the family aquatic center in Akron and construction at Akron-Westfield CSD.
Plan: Uncover our shared values
Volunteers reviewed every response and compiled feedback into six Heart & Soul statements to capture the values and priorities that community members shared. These values will drive the next phase of the process, which is defining the goals and action steps for our communities.
We hosted a community action summit that brought together community leaders, volunteer organizations and residents to review value statements, prioritize action ideas and share updates on community projects.
Act: Turn ideas into action plans
The final phase of the Community Heart & Soul process is focused on moving forward by prioritizing, setting timelines to complete the action items identified throughout the first three phases. The goal is to change the way the community takes action by putting resident engagement at the center of decision making.
Results were shared with organizations and through website communications.
An advisory committee of donors and volunteers was formed to review process and funding opportunities. Decision was made to form a new 501(c)3 non profit organization to continue Stronger Together focused work and provide a meaningful forum for community members, groups and businesses to connect with one another, collaborate and promote positive progress in addressing community needs.
The Akron & Westfield Growth Alliance launched in July 2024 with the following purpose:
Results were shared with organizations and through website communications.
An advisory committee of donors and volunteers was formed to review process and funding opportunities. Decision was made to form a new 501(c)3 non profit organization to continue Stronger Together focused work and provide a meaningful forum for community members, groups and businesses to connect with one another, collaborate and promote positive progress in addressing community needs.
The Akron & Westfield Growth Alliance launched in July 2024 with the following purpose:
- Identify opportunities for progress and improvement within local communities and provide support to those projects that meet community needs and priorities.
- Drive growth by meeting with local decision makers on a consistent basis further promoting collaborative efforts towards maintaining and improving the communities.
- Provide administrative services surrounding fundraising for local organizations to create efficiency and cohesiveness within the communities.