'Heart and Soul' initiative moves forward

HARRINGTON - After months of listening, learning and laying the groundwork, the Heart and Soul initiative is moving into its second phase, and organizers are excited about what comes next.

"Phase one was all about finding out what some of the hopes and dreams of our community were," said Darren Mattozzi, who was hired to help guide the effort. "We did some resource mapping to figure out what was available, what we could tap into. That included hiring me, organizing a launch party, and setting some overarching goals to guide us into phase two."

Phase two, Mattozzi said, is where the real storytelling begins.

"This stage is about digging deeper," he said. "We're going out and collecting information and stories from people. For example, tonight we're collecting what we call 'thin data' - simple responses to questions like, 'What makes you proud about Harrington?' We'll collect this at different events, archive it, and track recurring themes to find out what really matters to people here."

The initiative also includes one-on-one interviews and street-style soundbites.

"At the car show on May 17, we'll be doing street interviews," Mattozzi said. "We've got some cool little mics and we'll ask quick questions to get those short, meaningful insights. Then members of our core team will also be doing longer interviews to really let people share their stories."

Heart and Soul, which began with a small group of residents who attended a community development conference, received a $30,000 grant to launch the initiative. It has since grown into a volunteer-powered effort aiming to connect and uplift Harrington's residents.

"This is kind of like our celebration party," Mattozzi said of the free pizza celebration party at Harrington Haus on Wednesday, April 16. "The first one we did was three and a half hours long and a lot of work. This one's just pizza, information, and fun - a way to thank everyone for what they've done so far."

The next step after phase two will involve analyzing the data, forming guiding statements, and creating actionable plans for the town's future.

The initiative's next event is the Heart and Soul Egg Drop and Family Night, scheduled for April 17 at 5 p.m. at Harrington School.

Community members are welcome to join the conversation. Weekly meetings are held on Mondays at 4:30 p.m. at the school and are open to all.

Those interested can contact the group at HarringtonHeartandSoul@gmail.com or follow "Harrington Heart and Soul" on social media for updates.

Author Bio

Olivia Harnack, Managing Editor

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.