Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Group awarded $30,000 grant for program
HARRINGTON — Residents gathered on Saturday, Jan. 11, for an informational meeting about Community Heart & Soul, a resident-driven program aimed at fostering connections and guiding the future of the town.
The initiative, led by Kathie Matthews, seeks to bring people together to share stories, identify what they love most about Harrington, and develop plans for the town’s future.
Harrington was awarded a $30,000 grant through Innovia Foundation to support the program.
The funding will cover coaching, tools, and a stipend for a project manager to oversee the two-year process. The town must provide a $10,000 match through volunteer hours and donations.
“We will use their guide and do it the way that works best for Harrington,” Matthews said.
Community Heart & Soul follows a four-phase process:
Phase 1: Imagine – Forming Heart & Soul teams to build awareness and commitment.
Phase 2: Connect – Gathering stories from residents to develop Heart & Soul Statements reflecting the community’s values.
Phase 3: Plan – Creating action plans based on the statements to guide town planning.
Phase 4: Act – Incorporating the statements into town policies and decisions.
Harrington has already made significant progress, Matthews said, with a core team established and a town launch planned for Saturday, Jan. 25, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The event will include a recap of the program, a community network analysis, information about next steps, and a Q&A session.
The project manager position is open to anyone with a connection to Harrington.
It is a part-time, temporary contract position.
Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and resume to Harrington Heart & Soul, c/o City of Harrington, PO Box 492, Harrington, WA 99134, or drop it off at City Hall, 1 N 3rd Street.
“The launch is where we start the process finally,” Matthews said. “We’re excited to see this initiative bring our community closer together and shape a vibrant future for Harrington.”
Olivia Harnack is the award-winning managing editor/photographer/videographer/columnist at the Lincoln County Record-Times, with offices in both Davenport and Odessa, Wash. She is a University of Idaho graduate and a U.S. Army National Guardsman.
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