The Harvest Foundation will host a series of listening sessions to invite community members to brainstorm potential projects, programs to build hope in their neighborhoods
Martinsville, Va. — The Harvest Foundation is hosting a series of Community Listening Sessions to hear directly from Martinsville-Henry County residents about potential projects and programs that can build hope in their neighborhoods.
Harvest will host meetings from 6-8 p.m. at three locations across the city and county on Monday, April 24 at Laurel Park Middle School (280 Laurel Park Ave., Martinsville, Va. 24112); Tuesday, April 25 at Bassett High School (85 Riverside Drive, Bassett, Va. 24055); and Thursday, April 27 at Martinsville High School (351 Commonwealth Blvd E, Martinsville, Va. 24112).
Pre-registration is not required. All meetings will include light refreshments, dinner vouchers for local restaurants and door prizes.
“Project Hope empowers individuals and grassroots organizations to address needs within their communities through creativity, collaboration and volunteerism,” said India Brown, program officer at The Harvest Foundation. “The goal is to spark positive change and build hope throughout Martinsville-Henry County.”
Each listening session will be a safe space for collaborative, facilitated discussions led by Julie Walters Steele, director of Reynolds Homestead, and Sarah Wray, community engagement, partnerships, and programs manager at Reynolds Homestead. They both are credentialed facilitators trained through the AIR Shift program.
Participants are encouraged to brainstorm potential ideas that they can use to create their own proposals for Project Hope. In addition to the Community Listening Sessions, capacity building and technical assistance will be provided to each applicant if they choose to submit a proposal.
Initially launched as a celebration of The Harvest Foundation’s 20th Anniversary in 2022, Project Hope awarded five grants totaling $44,525 in its first year. This year, a committee of 13 local hope builders will consider and allocate funding for all submitted Project Hope proposals.
