Tracking Impacts Sometimes Takes Awhile

At the Heartland Center, we are often asked how we know whether what we do with community leaders really makes a difference.  That is not always an easy question to answer, as there are many forces at work, at the same time, that have an impact on community vitality.  And, as Milan has been known to say again and again, "We know that this isn't rocket science-it's social science, which is a lot more complicated!"  Now and again we become aware of a story that highlights what can happen at the community level in a fairly short period of time. 

A couple of years ago, Senior Associate Kurt Mantonya did a workshop on Appreciative Inquiry as a Planning Tool at the annual Small Town and Rural Development Conference sponsored by Michigan Rural Partners. One of the audience members was Shantel Sellers, a military veteran and entrepreneur who had recently moved to Honor, Michigan, with her husband and young children. Shantel and a small number of other Honor community leaders quickly went to work, using the Appreciative Inquiry approach, to initiate a revitalization initiative called the Honor Area Restoration Project.

"When we first started talking about revitalization, people told us it was too late for our town," said Shantel, now a Village Council member.  "They said nobody cared and that we had too many challenges to overcome.  Using the Heartland Center's Appreciative Inquiry approach, and focusing on our positives, has made all the difference in the world.  We started with three residents who wanted to make a difference.  Almost 200 people attended our visioning meeting-not bad for a town with a population of 300!  The Heartland Center was just the spark we needed.  Our residents have gone from overwhelmed to empowered in less than a year."

Last month, U.S. Senator Carl Levin was in Honor to announce a $25,000 federal grant through USDA to support development of the first segment of a paved non-motorized transportation path for the village.  The grant will be matched by volunteer labor and donated materials. 

Vicki Luther  Co-Director

Milan Wall Co-Director