Edgewood Captures a Communitys Hopes and Dreams to Build a “Healthy and Dynamic Edgewood”
In Edgewood, IA, dollars from a USDA grant have created “Healthy and Dynamic Edgewood,” a community engagement effort to explore ways to make Edgewood a healthier place to live.
Earlier this year, Edgewood Economic Development, the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, and a team of students from the University of Northern Iowa surveyed area residents about their hopes and dreams for the community related to health, recreation and wellness. The results will lead to open community-wide conversations later this year.
Having this data is important to Cody Funk, an Edgewood native and landscape architect working on the project. “We’ll have some viable information that will reflect what everybody wants,” he says. “That will lead us forward with a plan to proceed and, in the future, build.”
“Resources are limited in small towns,” says Elise Bergen, Edgewood Economic Development executive director. “This is going to allow us to complete projects because will have a way for people to rally behind projects.”
The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque received the USDA grant last year to fund efforts to build greater prosperity and sustainability in five area communities. The grant will fund a five-point plan focused on building community engagement; increasing awareness of the power of giving back to raise community wealth; developing case statements to increase donor engagement; identifying and developing donors; and making strategic grants. This has given projects like Healthy and Dynamic Edgewood the necessary support and resources they need to succeed.
“We can step up to our volunteers and say, ‘you know we have experts in our corner that are willing to help and see us succeed,’” says Elise.
“Being able to find resources and having the Foundation there to do that helps out a lot,” adds Cody.
Healthy and Dynamic Edgewood 2015 is a partnership supported by the Edgewood Economic Development Corporation; Edgewood Chamber of Commerce; Foundation for the Future of Delaware County, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque; and the USDA.
Copies of the three-year and 20-year plans can be obtained at edgewoodiowa.com.
For more information, contact Elise Bergan at 563.928.7036 or edgewood@iowatelecom.net.