Community Responds to Calls for Communication and Collaboration
The picturesque small town of Orofino, Idaho, recognizes that a balance must be maintained between community development with its focus on quality of life issues for residents, and economic development with a focus on standard of living and opportunities for businesses. “We have more people stepping forward and involved than ever before, and our emphasis on communication among residents has helped get us working together toward shared goals,” says one resident. He is explaining how Horizons, a community leadership development program sponsored by the Northwest Area Foundation, helped reinvigorate many plans already underway to promote both community and economic development. “Horizons helped get some ideas finished because the program brought out more players to finish many of the projects already in progress, but moving slowly.”
The striking confluence of geography, climate and history adds a rich character to Orofino and makes its 3,247 residents determined to preserve its small-town community with small-town values. To grow and develop as a community, members come together to work strategically toward unifying common goals that span differing perspectives within the community. As the seat of Clearwater County and nestled alongside the Clearwater River, Orofino has long served as an outpost for logging and mining industries. But times have changed. With the decline in logging and mining, the area’s natural resource roots have led residents to increasingly embrace recreation and tourism, drawing on the Clearwater National Forest and other natural resources as their calling card.
To avoid duplication of efforts and to foster greater collaboration among numerous community groups, governmental agencies and businesses, “Good Morning Orofino” — a quarterly breakfast meeting among the 73 organizations serving the community — has pooled resources, fostered partnerships and established a community-wide calendar of events. “During one meeting, we discovered that three different groups were working on welcome signage for the community. Now they’re working together,” admits one resident.
Good Morning Orofino changed both the information flow and cohesiveness between community members and their respective organizations. Before this, there was no central focus or place to go for information. Communication among groups was lacking, which often stalled progress. The turnout of organizations participating in Good Morning Orofino grew so much that it now necessitates a one voice, three minute limit for each organization participating. After each meeting, a newsletter summarizing the discussions is sent to participants to share with their members.
The success of Good Morning Orofino led to a spinoff gathering held semi-annually among health and welfare organizations under the umbrella of the Human Needs Council. From the Salvation Army to the local food pantry, representatives from the various organizations and government services share resources and expertise, and form collaborations to better serve their constituencies. Together, they can often better serve the underserved community members who might be experiencing various forms of poverty. The I-Can group, a volunteer-based organization that purchases food in bulk and redistributes it through town, received additional outpouring of support and involvement due, in part, to the recognition by many in town of residents who might be in need. The tangible results and impacts from the Human Needs Council are disseminated through the local Clearwater newspaper.
To better serve youth in the community, the Mayor of Orofino has formed the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council as an official committee under the Orofino City Council to develop a communication mechanism encouraging community youth to become engaged in City Council. The youth-led committee responds to issues in the community through peer-to-peer dialogue. One of its impacts is the development of a skate park in town.
A separate group of enthusiastic youth with the ManiYAC Pride youth organization developed, raised funds for, and supervised the construction of a new 3,400-square-foot ManiYAC Center adjacent to the high school. With over $100,000 worth of donated labor and materials and $65,000 raised in cash funds from various events, the ManiYAC Center features computers, air hockey, foosball, a pool table, food service and tutoring areas for the community’s youth. “Before the Horizons program, I had no idea just how involved the youth were in the community,” shares one leadership program participant. “The kids come together to rake leaves for elderly residents, sweep the downtown streets, plant flowers and deliver Christmas trees to shut-ins during the holidays.”
“We wanted something for everyone,” explains one of the youth involved with the development and management of the ManiYAC Center. “We needed to provide a place that would be home for many in the community and a place they could hang out and be a part of. Sometimes a house isn’t a home when no one is ever there. At the ManiYAC Center, there are always people here and lots of things to do.” With one adult supervisor on the premise, the entire center is maintained and managed by the students themselves, some of whom spent their spring break working on completing the center.
Hoping to support budding entrepreneurs, a small business development curriculum was also delivered to a group of high school seniors. Helping slow down possible “brain-drain” resulting from young people moving to the cities for jobs, the business program resulted in students completing a business plan and helped expand their skills so that they might be able to launch a new business in Orofino or take over an existing one. The program also re-introduced an economics curriculum that had previously been cut. Such ongoing commitment to young people reflects Orofino’s adults recognizing their kids as their greatest asset. “There’s huge support for kids who are doing productive things,” shares one resident.
In the process of completing the Orofino Action Plan, businesses, youth and a diverse group of community members were surveyed to address strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and to foster renewed energy on projects. “The leadership program helped provide more structure and support for members in the community to come together to pull it off,” shares one participant involved in the development of the Plan.
“What’s your hot button?” has become the rallying question to foster greater involvement in this community filled with positive and never-ending opportunities for future growth and development. Despite the changing economy, Orofino has always remained bullish on the future. Throughout the community, newly forged communication lines are bridging the generation gaps between young, middle-aged and elderly residents, sparking the renewed completion of projects that serve all its residents.