Strategic Poverty Reduction Plan

August 2009
Rosalia Horizons Poverty Reduction Project
2009-2012 STRATEGIC POVERTY REDUCTION PLAN

Dear Fellow Rosalians:

On Saturday, June 20th a couple dozen neighbors gathered at the Community Center to develop a long-range poverty reduction plan for the Horizons project. Horizons is a project of the Northwest Area Foundation is partnership with WSU Extension.
Below is a very brief summary of that Visioning Session and our proposed action strategies. Their success is entirely dependent upon your direct involvement. Please join us as we move forward toward implement.

Thanks, Your Horizons Leadership Group

Background
As a requirement of the Foundation and the program, the Horizons Leadership Group kicked-off the planning process by conducting a community-wide survey during May. That information was tabulated and brought forward at our day-long June 20th Visioning session. During that session, participants were asked to identify the best possible poverty reduction strategies in three areas: individual asset development (IAD), community capacity (CC) and public policy (PP). A total of 10 strategies were evaluated, voted upon, and prioritized. The final step involved the Leadership Group identifying those that were most likely to succeed and then organized them into either short-term, intermediate term or long-term for purposes of implementation.

Plan Content
The months of July and August have been spent by Horizons volunteers organizing these strategies, writing them up into a Strategic Action Plan, of which this is the Summary, and then sharing and promoting them. As mentioned above, here then are the Rosalia Horizons Poverty Reduction Strategies;

Short-Term (2009-2010):
• Create or join in the formation of a community-wide, broad purpose nonprofit corporation (CC)
• Recruit a new grocery/convenience store (IAD)
• Promote the formation of more business cooperatives (PP)
• Promote improved highway signage for businesses (PP)
• Increase individual financial literacy (IAD)
• Start a community health program (CC)
• Set specific community work days and dates for community clean-ups and betterment (CC)

Intermediate Term (2010-2011):
• Create a youth ‘coop ed’ program (IAD)
• Institute a community leadership program (CC)
• Promote increased family/youth entertainment (CC)

Long-Term (2011-2012):
• Promote a community/youth center and related activities (CC)
• Create a more business friendly environment (PP)
• Create a more appealing environment (CC)

As you can see, many of these strategies are actually ongoing and need to be monitored and evaluated for success. Most also require meaningful partnerships with other community/County groups and organizations. As a living document, this plan should be review annually and strategies reprioritized.

Next Steps
Now that we have an adopted Strategic Action Plan we need to recruit volunteers and begin implementing it. To support our efforts, the Northwest Area Foundation will make a direct financial investment and WSU Extension will help design necessary training and technical assistance input.
In order for Rosalia to successfully secure a remaining $4,000 training grant along with an additional $10,000 project grant, we need your active support and involvement. And now!
So, we need your help! Please consider which of these action projects excite you and how you’d like to help make it a reality. Please contact Paul (at ) or Amanda (at) if you’d like to volunteer OR attend any of our monthly meetings on the 1st and 3rd Sundays beginning at 7:00pm at the Performing Arts Center ().