I’ve been fortunate to be able to spend almost every day with people what are making our community a better place to live,work, learn and play. Some are donor’s who are giving back to a community that helped them establish a business, support a family, or earn and education or living . Some work in organizations that improve the quality of life and place for us all. Some roll up their shirtsleeves to volunteer their time and talents. Sometimes their work is well publicized and applauded by many, but more often than not, their efforts are anonomyous and recognized only by a few fortunate observers. It’s my observation that these folks all share one inescapable characteristic - they all have HOPE!
Conversely, I know there are many in our area who don’t share a positive vision for their future and much of their pessimism is based on our economy. Peter Szanton, in his 1990 assessment of Lorain County described our area as a “defeated community” with low expectations of ourselves. For many, the situation has not improved. Gallop’s NEO Barometer indicates that this social malaise is not specific to Lorain County but is inherent throughout northeast Ohio and is indicitative of our tranforming rust belt economy. As our employment base has declined, hope has become an increasingly rare commodity.
The Gallop Barometer also provides an important clue - that people who are aware of current economic development efforts are three times as likely to be positive about our economic future. That tells me that the sharing of information is a strategy that cannot be overlooked. In this age of negative headlines and nonstop negative news, we have to find new and better ways of sharing the positive things that are happening in this community and all around us. I’m convinced that one of the most powerful products offered by this community foundation is a sense of hope. I trust I can share some of those stories through this blog.
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