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The Planning
What's happening? top
During the spring of 2002 a diverse group of volunteers from throughout
the region joined together to develop a process in which all people
in our community could contribute ideas. During September, October
and November of 2002 we asked community organizations, neighborhood
groups, civic organizations, community clubs, businesses, churches
and religious institutions to hold Brainstorming Sessions where
your input can be shared. Additionally, several organizations interviewed
300 community members to gain their ideas. In February 2003, 650
people joined to refine these ideas at the regional strategy conference.
You can see results of the sessions by reviewing our report: "A
People's Assessment of Our Communities".
From April to June of 2003, Opportunity Works' staff, volunteers,
community members, and area groups and organizations developed
the strategic plan that will be the framework for Opportunity Works'
role in making poverty a temporary and infrequent condition in
our region. Because of the community efforts of the past year,
Opportunity Works has been able to develop its Strategic 10-Year
Plan for the Future. Plan implementation began in January 2004. Please see our newsletter for the most recent happenings.
Who can
be involved? top
Anyone can be involved. We are always interested in making new
connections with community members and organizations. More specifically,
Opportunity Works hopes to connect with organizations, agencies,
and groups in the region who are currently working or are interested
in working together on making poverty a temporary and infrequent
condition. To date, we have collaborated with dozens of non-profit
agencies, businesses, local government, educators, economic developers,
etc. We hope to continue to facilitate other collaborations as
more people get involved.
How do I
get involved? top
You
can find out more about what’s happening by signing
up for an e-mail newsletter, a paper newsletter that is mailed
to you, or by talking with the Opportunity Works staff and volunteers.
To get in touch with us you can e-mail Morgan Hoosman, Project Director, or call (319)226-3560.
Will my opinion
count? top
YES! Opportunity Works wants to know what you think! Your ideas
will help to make the plan a success and begin increasing opportunities
for people in our community. We are committed to gaining the ideas
and input of a diverse group of people! We hope you’ll become
part of this community process. 50% of people who participated
in Brainstorming Sessions said it was the first time they'd been
asked to give their input on a community issue.
Who decided what's in the plan? top
To date 4,770 people have been involved. In July 2002 a team of
40+ volunteers developed our planning process. This group is called
the “Process Design Team.” Over 2,600 people gave input
in Brainstorming Sessions. Please see "A
People's Assement of Our Communities" for
a participant profile. Additionally,
650 people attended the Regional Strategy Conference in February.
During the development of the first draft of the plan, nearly 500
people participated in regional feedback meetings. Additionally,
over 200 organizations have shared ideas and committed resources
in partnership with Opportunity Works.
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Information
Where can I
get more information about this region? top
Opportunity Works, in collaboration with the University of Northern
Iowa’s Institute for Decision Making, has developed a report
that shares information about the social, economic, and demographic
conditions in our area. This report is available for download on
the Research & Reports
page.
Where can
I get more information about poverty? top
Opportunity Works is gathering many resources about poverty and
opportunity in our region and throughout the country. This includes
a special report developed for Opportunity Works by Dr. Al Hays
called “A Road Map to Understanding Poverty.” These resources
are available to you on the Research & Reports
page. Additionally, we have provided several links to sites
that contain data
and resources.
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