St. Maries, ID

How will our community make decisions about seeking further resources to support or plans?

We have also begun talks with Habitat for Humanity to get a Chapter started in Saint Maries, as low income housing is in great need in our community.
As well as:
We have begun to put out feelers on how, when, where and the possibility for additional training, resources and coaching for the community. We have also drawn from the community members who have done the Leadership Plus training to create a new group from which we can draw increased community involvement.

What structures have been changed that will enable our community to address poverty in the long term?

We have also been (and will continue to do so) working with existing organizations on expanding current projects they are working on…for example the City Park Project in Saint Maries (also to get all the arrows going in the same direction)!
As well as:
We have begun to work on gathering and establishing stronger ties with current elected officials; such as the City Council, the Benewah County Commissioners, and Planning and Zoning. As well as the business community, including but not limited to: Timber Plus, the SBA and other Economic Development Groups.

In what ways is our community operating or working differently?

We have already partnered with Silver Valley Horizons, as well as Agencies for Families to create a multi-county joint resource directory, in order to make interagency and inter related resources easier to communicate to everyone who might need it.
As well as:
An SBA (Small Business Association) Representative has come in and talked to us about how to set up a successful rural business, including how to become more technologically connected to more metropolitan areas.

How has our community leadership expanded?

We have begun to meet with local businesses to figure out what is necessary for them to increase their success and continue to be a successful rural business.
As well as:
Saint Maries Horizons has begun to establish itself as a link between different community resources. This is so that we can get projects completed as a union and in a timelier manner, making all the arrows go in the same direction sooner.

What kind of concrete steps have been taken by our community to address poverty?

We have a great start on creating a Saint Maries Horizons Resource Guide for newcomers as well as current residents. We have also started negotiations on a joint location with the Chamber of Commerce; where anyone can come in and find all the information they might need in Saint Maries.
As well as:
We have begun to work on establishing a “Community Breakfast”, in order to unify communication amongst all our entities and also to share information and create even stronger ties amidst ourselves and newcomers. (Some ideas we have been “kicking” around is a ‘Newcomers’ picnic, where everyone in the community can get together to show just how welcoming we are!)

We are proud to be able to say that we are part of a wonderful group called “Horizons”. To be a part of this, we do have to “jump” through a few hoops, but to be totally honest, they just help us stick to our goals and stay on track!
One of these hoops, was to create a report, in which we were to create some “blog” posts…which, of course, we have done. After working on the posts, I realize just where we are, and how we have truely begun to ‘change’ our community for the better.
We have to post them idividually under their own Categories, so feel free to “search” the site to find the one which tickles your fancy!
TTFN
Tala.

Hello…
I have added a web counter to our page…I am hoping this way to find out just how much “traffic” we are getting on our site and where we could improve! Maybe, we could even get a survey going…what do you think?
TTFN
Tala.

Download a free web site hit counter here.

This week, I went to a “Social Capital” work shop, and not only did I learn a great deal, I also realized just how “rich” not only I am, but also the community I live in. Social Capital defined as: The central foundation of social capital is that the conncections amoung people add value to a society in much the same way that financial capital does. It refers to the collective value of all social networks or “who people know“. It describes what can arise from these networks when they do things for each other. The basic premise is that the interaction enables people to build communities, to commit themselves to each other, and to knit the social fabric. Robert Putnam, a Harvard educated sociologist, describes Social Capital as: something that can be described as mutually respcetful relationships, connnectedness and trustworthiness among people, networks and involvement.

A few of the “facts” which Robert Putnam also includes in his book are:
1. Since the 1960’s, church attendance is down by roughly one third.
2. Club and Civic organization participation has been cut by more than half over the last 25 years. And,
3. Americans are choosing to bowl alone. More people are bowling than ever before, but they are no longer bowling in leagues.

Saint Maries, however, is quite the opposite! From what I have been told, bars which used to outnumber churches in Saint Maries, have declined and actually made room for more churches than ever! Our civic organizations are extremely active in our community! When someone is in need, they are ready, willing and able to lend a hand, as I know for a fact that we have more than one bowling league in Saint Maries; almost every week night, there is a different group of people who bowl!
These few facts just made me realize how lucky I am to have come into a community rich in Social Capital! We might not be too rich in financial capital, and that is exactly why we are part of this wonderful group of HORIZONS!

TTFN
Tala.

Another year has come upon us, and it is just a reminder for us to improve our community!
I must apologize for my lack of posting over the past month, and the only thing I can do is that I will do my best to do better this year. There, that is my new year’s resolution! What is yours? I would love to hear them.
Looking at the picture above, it just reminds me of how lucky we are to live here in Saint Maries. It also mobilizes me into action…in the sense that I want to be a part of the future of our beautiful town, and not just someone who does not help create a positive future for our children.

TTFN
Tala

Building Social Capital: Connecting Newcomers and Locals to Strengthen Community

Lynette Flage, Community Leadership
Development Specialist, North Dakota State University Extension

January 15, 2008 9am-3pm
Grangeville, ID–Super 8 Meeting Room

January 16, 2008 9am-3pm
Plummer, ID–Tribal Wellness Center

How does a community assist those that have recently moved in to become engaged, feel at home and connected to this new place? A community with ample social capital will be able to do just that as they make newcomers feel connected and welcome.
For more information about the training contact:
Lynette Flage.

If you would like to register, please contact M.J. Joswiak at merijoz@uidaho.edu
I hope that you will be able to attend, it is a great way to get things started for us here in Saint Maries, and also meet others that are hoping to improve their communities like ourselves.

TTFN
Tala.

HORIZONS is a community leadership program aimed at reducing poverty in small towns in an eight state region. The program is funded by the Northwest Area Foundation (www.nwaf.org). University of Idaho Extension delivers the program with the assistance of individual community coaches in 14 rural communities in northern Idaho.
HORIZONS builds strong community leadership, acknowledging that strong leadership is as important as good roads, great schools and clean water.
HORIZONS embraces the entire community: everyone is needed and everyone has something to contribute. For communities to thrive, everyone has to have an opportunity to prosper. The main components of HORIZONS are:

 Community conversations and action planning focused on poverty reduction
 Inclusive, broad based leadership development
 Community visioning and action

HORIZONS explores the perceptions and the sourcs of poverty, recognizing that it isn’t always about lack of money. The program focuses on poverty, because poverty impacts everyone in a community.

H appy, Thriving community (the goal)
O rganize & mobilize existing assets (people, places & groups)
R eceive resources & support (grant funders)
I nitiate community conversations (study circles/ action forum)
Z ealous leadership (leadership plenty)
O wn our own destiny (reinvent the future)
N ame together where we are going (unified vision)
S pring into action (make significant changes to improve)

We are working hard to make all our goals come to fruition! Please join us whenever you can, we welcome your ideas, time and thoughts!

TTFN
Tala.