“Gee, wouldn’t it be great if this town just had ……”
Our communities impact every area of our lives: our health, our recreation, our work, our children’s education, the water that comes from our taps, our shopping options, services for our aging parents. Each community has resources, some have more and some have less. If you live in a small town you may feel that you’ve gotten the short end of the stick. Maybe you’ve visited a big city and have envied the parks, museums, public transportation, recreational trails, thriving downtown businesses, creative programs for youth and seniors and other such ‘amenities’.
Well, don’t feel sorry for yourself. Living in a small town may mean that you have fewer amenities. But you have a lot more power to influence your environment than you would if you lived in a big city. You can make a change in the world around you. It’s actually easier to get things done in a small town!
As a professional grant writer, program developer and project manager, I’ve had the pleasure of making a real difference in my own community. But you don’t need to be a professional. If you have passion, energy and commitment, you can make things happen in your own small town.
In July 2009 I set out to write a book on how to move a project from vision into reality: How to Get Things Done in a Small Town. The book includes a lot of step-by-step information and exercises to help you through the processes of getting things done. I use a lot of examples from my own small town work because I think real-life stories provide the best education. But I need more stories! And I need questions, resources and other input.
So I launched this website. The purpose of the website is:
- to allow people to contribute to the book by sharing their stories and asking questions;
- to provide a dynamic list of resources and information to help you achieve your vision;
- to get people excited about the book so I can find a publisher.
Take a look at the excerpts. Check out the resources. Send me questions and stories. And if you know of a good publisher for the book, send it on!
Download the book in PDF form here