Community Commitments
Throughout the Horizons program in Armour, we’ve been asked to consider how our goals and actions will reduce poverty in our community. I think that many of us did not give poverty a lot of thought before we started Horizons, but now it is a topic of consideration and discussion within the community. Our Study Circles, in particular, put poverty into perspective for many of us who participated. I will never forget how one member of my circle shared that a number of our elderly citizens must live on Social Security checks that are less than $500 per month. How is that even possible? My husband and I can easily blow through five hundred bucks by taking a weekend trip to an antique show. What if that was all we had to live on?
Armour’s Horizons participants have shown their commitment to reduce poverty by staying committed to the program and continuing to follow through on the goals we wrote in our Strategic Plan:
- To support and grow the business sector of Armour and the surrounding area.
- To determine the feasibility of seeking funding from outside resources for community enrichment officer in collaboration with other communities.
- To develop housing within the city limits of Armour.
- To enhance and improve the facilities at Lake Alcazar and Lions Park to allow people of all income levels to experience outdoor camping activities close to home through construction of one or two one-bedroom cabins at Lake Alcazar by September 1, 2008.
As you read here earlier this month, we have been busy promoting our Strategic Plan. We held a celebration during our Christmas In Armour celebration at the beginning of December to present the plan to the community. The feedback we received was very positive. Members of our town are excited about the plans and goals set forth by the Horizons group and want to see the efforts reach successful conclusions.
In further detail, our Strategic Plan addresses poverty reduction by explaining how our various goals will impact poverty. For example, our lake cabin project is a quality of life issue. If the cabins are available at low cost, they will provide a recreational opportunity for families who do not have a lot of financial resources. The cabins will also showcase a beautiful part of our community and add an additional amenity to an already well-used park.
Another example of poverty reduction that’s built in to our Strategic Plan is the objective of working with Planning and Development District III to compile a list of all housing programs that are available in South Dakota. There are programs available to assist lower income families with upgrading their current housing situations. Our Horizons works has shown us that people with limited resources are working hard just to keep their families above water. They may not have the time or resources to research programs that may be beneficial. If our Horizons members do the legwork, we may be able to assist people who have little time to investigate options on their own.
If you haven’t taken time to read our Strategic Plan, I’d still encourage you to do so. And Horizons members, if you haven’t taken a look at it in a few weeks, it might be a good time to refresh your memories and re-connect with the projects we are working on. The holidays have been a busy time … the beginning of a new year is a good time to pause for reflection and gear up for new work on our goals.
January 9th, 2008 at 6:51 am
It sounds like you are doing well in Armour! We,too, had epiphanies in the Study Circles-we realized we had so many assets already that we could improve. We also are concerned about our school- it has already been consolidated years ago, and the towns want to keep what they have left. It is important for residents to shop local and help support the schools with the taxes that are generated! Also, we have been affected by open enrollment. It has been like a little cancer and, although it offers choices, it does harm the school districts when a student enrolls out of the district.