Alta, IA

Thirty-two Alta residents, including seven or eight who had not yet been involved in Horizons efforts, participated in a forum on Sunday evening, June 22, at the Alta Community Center.

Following a light supper, participants heard updates from each of the Horizons work groups and had opportunities to ask questions and offer suggestions. Some work groups also gained new volunteers before the evening was done! Highlights included an update on plans to open the Community Resource Center at 212 ½ Main Street in Alta before the end of the summer. (see below for donations needed!)

We were urged to be sure to refer new Alta residents to the ABC group (Alta Builds Connections) so they can receive a welcome visit. Special efforts are needed to reach out to new residents who may be low-income or isolated in any way. It was noted that there are several housing starts in the community, and entrepreneurial business recognition and encouragement was presented.

Because this was the final event during the official two-year Horizons effort, a certificate of appreciation was presented to each member of the hard-working steering committee. As the formal Horizons project ends, ISU Extension’s Community Coach (Barb Wollan) also ends her formal involvement with the project and the community. Barb assured the group, however, that she is still available for consultation and will look forward to hearing about the work ahead. She left the group with a challenge to continue the good work that has begun, to directly assist low-income residents, to keep in mind the impact on low-income families whenever policy decisions are made, and to continue working to build involvement of all segments of the community, especially low-income residents.

The Community Resource Center seeks donations of the following items. Contact Bonnie Hach to donate: pencils & pens, pencil sharpener, paper clips & clasps, 20# copy paper, manila folders, hanging file folders, stapler & staples, typewriter, a computer & programs, an answering phone, phone cards, storage shelves, a folding 4’ conference table, literature racks.

In the February meeting of the steering committee, an exciting proposal was received for  a new community resource center in Alta. This proposal comes as a result of the visioning and action teams that have taken place in Alta since 2006 with the Horizons program. A building in downtown Alta has been made available for use with adequate office space to provide for the needs of the resource center.

The proposal presently before the committee is to have full techonology capabilities with office machines and volunteer staffing at least one day per week at the onset.

The comprehensive benefit of the Community Resource Center is to give visibility to Alta Horizons in the community, provide information and resources for needs within the Alta community. Each work group on the steering committee can be based in and/or work from this center. The Alta Chamber of Commerce has also been approached about jointly using the facility with Alta Horizons.

It is the feeling of the members of the committee that having a highly visible location in downtown Alta will prove beneficial to meet with business  leaders or prospective builders as Alta continues to make progress. It will also provide an ongoing reminder in the community that Alta is taking seriously the plan to address the needs within the community and provide a valuable resource to see that the needs are met.

It is anticipated that having this resource center will also make it possible for us to obtain future grants and funding opportunities that will help address the needs and heighten awareness of community concerns relating to poverty and other issues.

No final decision has been reached on this proposal, but good progress is being made as the excitement continues to grow in Alta for the “grand opening” of the new Community Resource Center.

Alta city officials are lending not only verbal approval but active participation in the ongoing Alta Horizons program, sending a strong message that the city wants to see the mission of Horizons carried on within the community. Two current city council members serve as active members of the Alta Horizons Steering Committee. Along with this involvement, the Alta city manager/clerk has provided ongoing, regular and invaluable information and support to Alta Horizons by providing information and attending the meetings when needed as well as helping get questions answered that have arisen by the committee members. In recent weeks, the city has agreed to serve as the fiscal agent for funds that Alta Horizons will use to continue to address poverty issues within the community, with the city clerk serving as the primary contact person for fiscal needs.

It’s another sign that the city of Alta continues to give its fantastic support to what is being worked on through Horizons within the community.

One of the issues that was regularly discussed in the Horizons program as it developed in Alta was the need to support and promote the local food pantry called The Lord’s Cupboard (an affiliate of the Iowa Food Network) - as a way to continue helping those who need food.

The City of Alta and Alta Municipal Utilities are presently sponsoring a food drive to serve the people in the community who need food assistance. A goal has been set to collect 2,000 pounds of food with the donations to go to the local food pantry, The Lord’s Cupboard.

It’s good to see business people within the community actively involved in promoting this food drive called, “No Hungry Neighbors.” Al and Angie Wadsley of Gull Wing Industries (a local Alta business) presented a check for $200 for the food drive.  On a side note, the Horizons funds designated  for Alta are unavailable to be used to buy food for the pantry, but in a show of community support and “leading the way,” the members of the Horizons Steering Committee, in their December meeting, pooled personal contributions in the amount of $100 towards this community project! Others continue to support this drive. Donations, as of this writing, currently total 2,590 pounds - already well past the set goal!

Each donation, whatever size it is, will play a part in helping Alta’s needy neighbors. It’s another sign that Alta is working together to respond to and reduce the needs of its neighbors!

Good things are happening with the Horizons Steering Committee in Alta. A recent meeting on December 17 worked on several proposals before the committee including selection of local leadership to chair the committee, adoption of guidelines for permanent structure and functioning of the committee in the community, reports from the various workgroups and discussion regarding a fiscal agent to facilitate the use of the money in the community that will be provided through the Horizons program.

The desire is for the Alta Horizons Steering Committee to help facilitate change within the community by encouraging and promoting a working together relationship to address the needs within the community.