The Story Continues

A NEW WAY OF WORKING. The strategic and comprehensive approach to community development through LISC’s Building Sustainable Communities initiative pursues program and project development outside the traditional “silo” format in which agencies work alone and on singular goals.  Rather, it brings agencies together as partners and helps them pursue multiple goals in a holistic approach. 

The rural Building Sustainable Communities model can be likened to a strawberry plant. The focus of activity in the main plant (the core community) produces runners moving out in all directions—creating additional growth in nearby locations.  Thus, work in one community will stimulate new opportunities in completely different areas, both within and outside the community.  Employment training can result in job development; affordable housing development might lead to positive results in educational outreach programs.  And so on.

THE STORY CONTINUES.  Since beginning the Building Sustainable Communities program in 2008, Rural LISC is seeing not just the success of two demonstration sites, but further development of the sustainability concept among partner CDCs across 31 states.  Building sustainable communities, as communities and CDCs are discovering, is a comprehensive effort based in cooperative relationships among a broad spectrum of players, and it is appearing at a level of scale and impact that is truly remarkable.   The newly emerging stories of change and impact on the ground give hope about the future of rural communities, particularly in these times.

Uniontown Family Homes today. Fayette County Community Action Agency, Uniontown, Penn.

For a further discussion of Rural LISC's Building Sustainable Communities program in Pennsylvania, see the recorded live stream of the Rural LISC Presentation at the LISC 30th Anniversary Symposium and Gala, March, 2011.