ELKHART — Launched at the beginning of 2016, the Vibrant Communitiesinitiative has sparked discussion in Elkhart County about providing opportunities to make the area a better place to live, play and work.
From an initial meeting that drew hundreds to community meetings that drew hundreds more, the initiative has established a set of 77 action agenda items that communities are currently working to implement. Nearly 4,000 comments were collected from almost 1,000 county residents during the community and small-group meetings.
Vibrant Communities is co-sponsored by the Community Foundation of Elkhart County and the Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The next phase of the initiative is getting ready to begin, on July 12 from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Lerner Theatre's Crystal Ballroom, a community meeting will be hosted to unveil the initiative's Little Big Idea Grant, which organizers hope will spark creative projects or events that demonstrate why people love to live in Elkhart County.
Featuring speaker Pete McGinty, who helped develop Columbus, Ohio's marketing and brand identity program, the meeting will focus on strengthening communication, identity and pride, according to a press release.
One of the ways of accomplishing community pride is by letting community members express what they are proud of. Terry Mark, director of communications at the Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said that initiative leaders would like to see original ideas that may or may not be permanent.
"We are offering up to $1,000 through the grant program for each idea that comes in," he said. "So the scale of the ideas will be smaller due to the limited funding, but should express pride about where the grant recipient lives."