Union County is vibrant and healthy. It is growing fast. At the same time, the community faces a vital choice: How will it maintain the good things it loves while addressing the challenges of growth and change? Notably, important work is already being done across the county to make growth work for the area and build a better future.
It’s time to double down. Union County can forge a shared path, one that meets people where they are and addresses issues that matter to them. One that reinvigorates the community’s civic culture, moves the area forward, and creates a new trajectory of hope.
As a down payment on this work, in 2022 Honda asked The Harwood Institute to identify key areas for strengthening the community’s civic culture and developing a shared purpose. The resulting report, published in November 2023 and titled Moving Forward in Union County: Forging a Shared Path, presents what The Harwood Institute found.
Following the report’s publication, the United Way of Union County stepped forward to steward a second phase of work in the community, which will kick off in spring 2024 with a Getting Started Lab. Coming out of this initial lab, action teams will form around priority areas identified in the report. Then a second lab—Unleashing Impact—will be held in fall 2024. Ongoing coaching and workspaces will take place throughout 2024 and 2025.