Martinsville, Va. — The Harvest Foundation is announcing its new strategic plan following a year-long process that included in-depth data collection and analysis, and extensive community input through focus groups, workgroups, and public surveys.
Harvest looks to the word ‘hope’ as its north star and guiding principle informing its 2022-2026 strategic plan, which has the following three priority areas: Thriving Youth, A Vibrant Community, and Resilient and Diverse Economy.
“While this is our plan, we view it as a community plan — Harvest resources can’t accomplish this alone,” said Kate Keller, president of The Harvest Foundation. “We need our community’s support and the help of many others to put this plan into action.”
Thriving Youth focuses on partnerships with community members and organizations to provide first-class learning and development opportunities for youth from birth to college. Supporting the SEED Fund, a program guaranteeing a two-year college education at no cost for every qualifying high school graduate in Martinsville-Henry County, is a continued priority for Harvest.
A focus on quality and affordable early childhood education remains a priority, in addition to building a strong early childhood education workforce pipeline.
A Vibrant Community is inspired by a healthy one. Harvest will work to support existing health systems to ensure that residents have access to primary and behavioral health care. The foundation also will work to grow MHC to attract and retain a diverse population by supporting housing capacity growth, broadband expansion, and uptown revitalization. A shared community narrative will be developed that will help strengthen community connectivity and engagement.
A Resilient and Diverse Economy supports efforts to increase jobs and tax base while building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, which will work to promote talent that helps form and grow companies and develops opportunities so everyone can participate. The foundation will work to strengthen systems lessening the effects of benefits loss and helping families overcome poverty.
“Developing this strategic plan was a new approach for Harvest that emphasized community voice and inclusion,” Keller said. “We want to nurture a community-wide culture that champions MHC’s story and unique strengths, and encourages all residents to look forward to a positive future ahead.”
Visit www.theharvestfoundation.org to learn more about the foundation and its next chapter of investment and service to Martinsville-Henry County.
