GROUP SEEKS WAYNEDALE IMPROVEMENT
Why is Waynedale the best place to live? What makes our community so special? We think YOU know the answers… in fact we know you do! If you want to make the Waynedale community an even better place to live, work and play, we want you!
A group of Waynedale residents is currently engaged in developing a Quality of Life Plan. A Quality of Life Plan is like a road map; it’s how to make a goal become a reality. The Plan is designed to capture the vision of residents and turn goals into achievable projects and programs.
The Plan takes shape when neighbors (like YOU!) work together across traditional boundaries to: organize and get involved, decide collectively on priorities and act on these priorities to affect change.
Ultimately the Plan will address civic, social, physical and economic growth. CANI, a local, non-profit agency is facilitating the process, but it is the Waynedale community who will be responsible for making the decisions and making things happen. As for CANI’s role, the agency will work with you to reinforce Waynedale’s strengths and assets.
We have come a long way since our initial meeting in August. At a meeting in November, residents learned about and participated in asset mapping. This is a fancy way of saying we examined Waynedale’s strengths and areas for improvement. Of course there were a lot of good things to say!
A Quality of Life leadership training meeting was held on January 15 at South Side High School. This meeting was attended by Waynedale citizens and residents from the 46807 neighborhoods who are participating in their own planning process.
At the training, Josh Bowling from Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (INRC) explained that community assets begin with individuals who have skills, abilities, and passions. He emphasized that the little things are what make a difference in a community.
John Steinbach, a local consultant, introduced attendees to the concept of Appreciative Inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry seeks to find the best of “what is” to help people imagine and build “what might be.”
The next step in the Quality of Life Plan is to find more people to take a leadership role. Volunteers are needed to conduct one-on-one interviews with fellow neighbors and business owners in Waynedale.
Anyone is welcome to join in the process – there will be many areas where we will need people to participate. The only stipulation is that you live or work in Waynedale. Please keep in mind the more people we have involved, the more potential Waynedale has for improvement.
The next leadership training opportunity is February 1 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at the Main branch of the Allen County Public Library in Room 2B. At this training, attendees will learn how to do one-on-one interviews. No experience is required; all that’s needed is a desire to make a difference.
If you LOVE Waynedale, and you want to get involved, contact Janel Cain at (260) 423-3546, ext. 250.
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