From the desk of The Harvest Foundation President Kate Keller
Over the past few years, October has turned into Project Hope month for us at Harvest. We announce all of the grantees selected by the community-led Project Hope Committee. This 13-member committee reviews all of the applications and determines which projects meet the goals of the Project Hope.
The Project Hope grants have three meaningful goals: community engagement, community building, and leadership development. In its essence, a Project Hope grant should engage local community members to do something for others in the community. There should be volunteers who help implement the project. These types of projects are local and meaningful for those involved and allow regular people to participate in civic life. Volunteers get to know each other and build relationships, and they get opportunities to lead and see that they, too, can make changes and make a difference. These projects are small steps towards strengthening our “social fabric” and developing new community leaders.
As we are nearing the end of October, we are rapidly approaching election day. Like Project Hope, election day offers another opportunity for us to engage in community leadership. Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and is critical at all levels of government. We need a strong local government so that we can have safe communities, strong schools, and places we all enjoy living in. Voting has already started, but if you don’t vote early, show up on November 4th and vote. We have important local and state offices on the ballot, and your voice is needed.
Just like Project Hope reminds us that change starts with everyday people taking action, voting is another way we shape the future of our community together. Your participation matters, your voice matters, and your leadership matters. Let’s continue building hope, together.