Community Development in a Rural Town

I am by no means an expert on Community Development in a rural town, but I have been successful in reaching out and making contact with people with the same vision that I have for Newport, Maine. When I returned from “The Power of With” conference I had a few ideas. I started out realizing that one on one contact with our neighbors would not work due to the fact that others use that process to push their ideals and the neighbors at best will just say “I’m not interested.” Usually they will close the door in your face. I started out looking for people who are working with the youth as they were our original focus when our team started. I contacted the high school Principle, Community Center Director, and Cultural Center Director and they were all perceptive and open to Asset Based Community Development. It ties right in with their missions. We are still in the early stages of growth so there are no major initiatives in the process. I went to one of the local trade shows and met many people who are interested in Community Development. The Chamber of Commerce Executive Director was very interested and asked for an article for their news letter. I will be making presentations to the Chamber later in the fall.
Another plus for promoting Community Development is the Community Consolidation Asset Mapping Process (CCAMP) which we have purchased a license for through the Communities First Foundation who purchased the umbrella license. This shows a tangible means to document and utilize not only the skills and assets of the individual neighbors of the community, but the organizations, institutions, and businesses in the area.
The most important thing to remember is that you need to start small and think of the overall vision as the ultimate goal. If you try to go too fast you can get frustrated and fall into the “Service” mindset which limits the possibilities for the neighborhood. When building your teams you do not want to restrict yourself to the business and organizational leaders, but use those contacts to reach out to the community to invite natural leaders that have the same vision that you have. They are the ones who live in the community and know where to start in the Asset Mapping process. After you get your team established you can use CCAMP to develop your plan for your first initiative. You must always remember to look at each individual as an asset with skills and try to overlook their perceived weaknesses. This will not only empower them and their community but will bring you in as a neighbor and a friend, not just someone trying to bring their own ideas into the area.