Alden's Horizons Group
Workable Ideas gathered at the Ames Horizon meeting
After the attendees shared the ideas from the spring Horizons meeting held on the Iowa State campus at the last steering committee meeting, several of the ideas sparked workable plans for Alden. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel and that is what so great about attending the state wide meeting and hearing what other Horizon communities have developed! It is wonderful to see what has worked and way we can improve our projects. New projects are taking shape, it will be another wonderful year and we will continue to see need and develop plans. Several community members have now attended the statewide meetings, and have become convinced of their value, so we expect to have good attendance from Alden at future “Expanding Your Horizons Work” events, if they are held.
Free Swim Lessons for the Alden kids!
One of the project ideas that has sprung from the Horizons pool committee is that Alden school children should be offered free swim lessons. The lessons have been offered in the early evening hours to allow working parents the time to get kids there. The Alden Community Fund has designated money (approx $3,000) to offset the cost for lessons and to certify guard training. Information will be sent home with children and it is hoped that this is met with a tremendous response. We want to water proof all Alden children. This is a great opportunity!
The Alden Steering Committee meets and elects new officers
The Alden Horizons steering committee has functioned with a real purpose this past year and grown in independence for the day it will operate without the supervision of a Horizons manager. Elections and an annual review happened this spring. Attendance has held up well and several new members have been attending. The new officers were elected and the steering committee is functioning. Thanks to the original group of officers who did such a great job of getting us off to a wonderful start. We can be very proud of the projects that have happened.
The Alden Newsletter continues to be funded
The Alden Newsletter which is celebrating its first birthday and has to be considered a Horizons success story, is funded through the first of July. Funding for the first couple of issues was dependent on Horizons, but since then new funding sources have been developed, including advertisements, donations, and a very successful “envelope campaign” in which newsletter recipients were given an opportunity to voluntarily donate a modest amount in lieu of a “subscription.” The newsletter is becoming a very valuable way for all community members to stay in touch as it is send to all households without cost. Thanks to the committee for all their hard work in making this possible! Great job!
Alden Pool Renovation continues at record speed!
With the Alden Pool opening at the end of this month volunteers are making record pace and donating lots of time along with town employees to renovate the shower building and paint the building and pool. Grants have been received from Theisen’s and the Hardin County Community Endowment Foundation ($12,500), and additional fundraising has gone really well. Excitement for the changes is nearly overwhelming! Renovation efforts are expected to be complete before the pool opens in June. Thanks for supporting this needed project!
Alden Days to be held in June
The group of volunteers has met and is forming plans for the annual Alden Day. Many of the popular activities of years past will return and a couple of new events will also happen. Several of the Horizons participants are again spearheading the event. They are coordinating the plans with the town’s churches, sport groups and vendors. The area supports the volunteers and a chance to celebrate the town. Thanks volunteers for making this happen!
Alden Food Pantry Update
The Alden Food Pantry committee has met and elected Georgia Mourlam as its new chair. Two additional people have been trained to work as volunteers at the pantry.It was shared that the pantry use has increased in the early months of this year, and 25 boxes had been prepared and delivered at Christmas time. We feel that encouraging usage is still the biggest obstacle. We think that there are still families who do not know the pantry exists or that a sense of pride in a small community discourages use. To increase awareness, an ad will be placed in the Alden newsletter with times available and with items needed at the pantry. Discussion was held on backpack food items for school children on weekends. The topic had much discussion and was discussion on the project will be ongoing with future information needed. The community garden plot for the food pantry will offer fresh produce for the pantry. How it will be picked and distributed was discussed. The opportunity of fresh vegetables will be wonderful and a great pairing of the garden and the pantry.
Alden Community Garden!!
We have had a roller coaster ride finding a spot for a community garden here in Alden. Hilltop Village and there board of directors has agreed to us planting gardens in a lovely spot behind the apartments. We are soo excited!!10 people signed up and we prepared the 8 plots needed.We staked out 15/20 foot spots with six feet of grass in between, removed the sod and tilled the plots. There has been a flurry of activity with signs that onions,beets,green beans and even watermelon have been planted. It has been cool and rainy so a little early for plants. We have a couple with 6 children that are real happy to have the spot. One guy said he has never planted anything in his life but wanted half a plot. So we are well on the way to helping people put food on the tables here in our community.. Our committee is planting one to share with the residents at Hilltop as a thank you for allowing us to be there. We aren’t real easy to find as we are just south of the trees beside the Methodist Church parking lot. Come back and look and you will see why we are so pleased!
County-wide Financial Literacy Efforts Benefit Alden
A number of factors in Hardin County are coming together to promote the development of a county-wide strategy for building financial literacy. ISU Extension has successfully offered the series “Money Talk: A Financial Course for Women” three or four times in the past five years, and is scheduled for another series next spring. The local community action agency has hired and trained a staff person specifically focused on providing financial education to low-income audiences. The County Foundation has become involved in a special project focusing on promoting entrepreneurship, and sees financial literacy as a key prerequisite to successful entrepreneurial efforts. In addition, the Iowa Falls library was accepted as part of a specially-funded statewide effort called “Smart Investing @ Your Library” which will provide unique learning opportunities to the entire region, including Alden.
With all these resources in play, a county-wide strategy and timetable will be formed during the summer months of 2010. Because of Horizons, the partners in this strategy will make special efforts to provide some educational opportunities in Alden if possible, including offering Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” in Alden sometime within the next 1-2 years with funding support from the County Foundation. In addition, the Horizons committee structure and community connections will be utilized effectively in conducting outreach in Alden for all financial literacy activities. It is hoped that the strategy will include tying some financial literacy and/or asset-building efforts into the existing VITA tax outreach project in Alden and around the county.
Free VITA Tax Preparation Comes to Alden
Free volunteer income tax preparation (VITA) has been offered in Hardin County for the past several years through MICA, the local community action agency. However, no local volunteer tax preparers were ever recruited, so the program’s capacity in the county was very small: in the 2008-09 tax season, the program did 14 tax returns. In the fall of 2009, because of Horizons in Alden, ISU Extension and the County Foundation consulted with MICA about how the program’s outreach could be expanded, and developed a strategy which included a modest incentive (funded by the County Foundation) to encourage the involvement of the honor society at Ellsworth Community College. ISU Extension staff and worked with MICA to explain the effort to student members and faculty advisers, and provided technical training and support to these new volunteers. Eight new local volunteers were trained and certified, three of whom are from Alden and the rural area near Alden.
Two VITA tax clinics were held at the Alden library, in addition to four clinics held elsewhere in the county. An extremely difficult winter hindered efforts, since some of the tax clinics had to be canceled or rescheduled because of storms, but the two clinics in Alden were held, and ten Alden households benefited. Even with weather interference, a total of 25 tax returns were prepared in Hardin County, substantially improving on past years’ outcomes; it is expected that the partnership with the College and the honor society will continue in future years. ISU Extension and Horizons will continue to support the VITA efforts and outreach.
Workable Ideas gathered at the Ames Horizon meeting
After the attendees shared the ideas from the spring Horizons meeting held on the Iowa State campus at the last steering committee meeting, several of the ideas sparked workable plans for Alden. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel and that is what so great about attending the state wide meeting and hearing what other Horizon communities have developed! It is wonderful to see what has worked and way we can improve our projects. New projects are taking shape, it will be another wonderful year and we will continue to see need and develop plans. Several community members have now attended the statewide meetings, and have become convinced of their value, so we expect to have good attendance from Alden at future “Expanding Your Horizons Work” events, if they are held.
Free Swim Lessons for the Alden kids!
One of the project ideas that has sprung from the Horizons pool committee is that Alden school children should be offered free swim lessons. The lessons have been offered in the early evening hours to allow working parents the time to get kids there. The Alden Community Fund has designated money (approx $3,000) to offset the cost for lessons and to certify guard training. Information will be sent home with children and it is hoped that this is met with a tremendous response. We want to water proof all Alden children. This is a great opportunity!
The Alden Steering Committee meets and elects new officers
The Alden Horizons steering committee has functioned with a real purpose this past year and grown in independence for the day it will operate without the supervision of a Horizons manager. Elections and an annual review happened this spring. Attendance has held up well and several new members have been attending. The new officers were elected and the steering committee is functioning. Thanks to the original group of officers who did such a great job of getting us off to a wonderful start. We can be very proud of the projects that have happened.
The Alden Newsletter continues to be funded
The Alden Newsletter which is celebrating its first birthday and has to be considered a Horizons success story, is funded through the first of July. Funding for the first couple of issues was dependent on Horizons, but since then new funding sources have been developed, including advertisements, donations, and a very successful “envelope campaign” in which newsletter recipients were given an opportunity to voluntarily donate a modest amount in lieu of a “subscription.” The newsletter is becoming a very valuable way for all community members to stay in touch as it is send to all households without cost. Thanks to the committee for all their hard work in making this possible! Great job!
Alden Pool Renovation continues at record speed!
With the Alden Pool opening at the end of this month volunteers are making record pace and donating lots of time along with town employees to renovate the shower building and paint the building and pool. Grants have been received from Theisen’s and the Hardin County Community Endowment Foundation ($12,500), and additional fundraising has gone really well. Excitement for the changes is nearly overwhelming! Renovation efforts are expected to be complete before the pool opens in June. Thanks for supporting this needed project!
Alden Days to be held in June
The group of volunteers has met and is forming plans for the annual Alden Day. Many of the popular activities of years past will return and a couple of new events will also happen. Several of the Horizons participants are again spearheading the event. They are coordinating the plans with the town’s churches, sport groups and vendors. The area supports the volunteers and a chance to celebrate the town. Thanks volunteers for making this happen!
Alden Food Pantry Update
The Alden Food Pantry committee has met and elected Georgia Mourlam as its new chair. Two additional people have been trained to work as volunteers at the pantry.It was shared that the pantry use has increased in the early months of this year, and 25 boxes had been prepared and delivered at Christmas time. We feel that encouraging usage is still the biggest obstacle. We think that there are still families who do not know the pantry exists or that a sense of pride in a small community discourages use. To increase awareness, an ad will be placed in the Alden newsletter with times available and with items needed at the pantry. Discussion was held on backpack food items for school children on weekends. The topic had much discussion and was discussion on the project will be ongoing with future information needed. The community garden plot for the food pantry will offer fresh produce for the pantry. How it will be picked and distributed was discussed. The opportunity of fresh vegetables will be wonderful and a great pairing of the garden and the pantry.
Alden Community Garden!!
We have had a roller coaster ride finding a spot for a community garden here in Alden. Hilltop Village and there board of directors has agreed to us planting gardens in a lovely spot behind the apartments. We are soo excited!!10 people signed up and we prepared the 8 plots needed.We staked out 15/20 foot spots with six feet of grass in between, removed the sod and tilled the plots. There has been a flurry of activity with signs that onions,beets,green beans and even watermelon have been planted. It has been cool and rainy so a little early for plants. We have a couple with 6 children that are real happy to have the spot. One guy said he has never planted anything in his life but wanted half a plot. So we are well on the way to helping people put food on the tables here in our community.. Our committee is planting one to share with the residents at Hilltop as a thank you for allowing us to be there. We aren’t real easy to find as we are just south of the trees beside the Methodist Church parking lot. Come back and look and you will see why we are so pleased!
County-wide Financial Literacy Efforts Benefit Alden
A number of factors in Hardin County are coming together to promote the development of a county-wide strategy for building financial literacy. ISU Extension has successfully offered the series “Money Talk: A Financial Course for Women” three or four times in the past five years, and is scheduled for another series next spring. The local community action agency has hired and trained a staff person specifically focused on providing financial education to low-income audiences. The County Foundation has become involved in a special project focusing on promoting entrepreneurship, and sees financial literacy as a key prerequisite to successful entrepreneurial efforts. In addition, the Iowa Falls library was accepted as part of a specially-funded statewide effort called “Smart Investing @ Your Library” which will provide unique learning opportunities to the entire region, including Alden.
With all these resources in play, a county-wide strategy and timetable will be formed during the summer months of 2010. Because of Horizons, the partners in this strategy will make special efforts to provide some educational opportunities in Alden if possible, including offering Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” in Alden sometime within the next 1-2 years with funding support from the County Foundation. In addition, the Horizons committee structure and community connections will be utilized effectively in conducting outreach in Alden for all financial literacy activities. It is hoped that the strategy will include tying some financial literacy and/or asset-building efforts into the existing VITA tax outreach project in Alden and around the county.
Free VITA Tax Preparation Comes to Alden
Free volunteer income tax preparation (VITA) has been offered in Hardin County for the past several years through MICA, the local community action agency. However, no local volunteer tax preparers were ever recruited, so the program’s capacity in the county was very small: in the 2008-09 tax season, the program did 14 tax returns. In the fall of 2009, because of Horizons in Alden, ISU Extension and the County Foundation consulted with MICA about how the program’s outreach could be expanded, and developed a strategy which included a modest incentive (funded by the County Foundation) to encourage the involvement of the honor society at Ellsworth Community College. ISU Extension staff and worked with MICA to explain the effort to student members and faculty advisers, and provided technical training and support to these new volunteers. Eight new local volunteers were trained and certified, three of whom are from Alden and the rural area near Alden.
Two VITA tax clinics were held at the Alden library, in addition to four clinics held elsewhere in the county. An extremely difficult winter hindered efforts, since some of the tax clinics had to be canceled or rescheduled because of storms, but the two clinics in Alden were held, and ten Alden households benefited. Even with weather interference, a total of 25 tax returns were prepared in Hardin County, substantially improving on past years’ outcomes; it is expected that the partnership with the College and the honor society will continue in future years. ISU Extension and Horizons will continue to support the VITA efforts and outreach.
Recent News:
Posted August 2, 2009 by Administrator
This is the link to the Alden Horizons Community Blog -- http://alden.communityblogs.us/ - to read about what has been going on here in Alden.
This is the link to the ISU Extension state page for Horizons -- http://www.extension.iastate.edu/horizons/ for more information about Horizons in general.
Posted August 2, 2009 by Administrator
Alden’s Horizons project is working on plans for actions that will help all Alden folks to thrive, and will ultimately reduce poverty. Based on ideas that have been generated by groups meeting in the community, we have prepared a survey – we’re hoping to get responses from hundreds of Alden community members!
Please take a few minutes (5-10 minutes is all it will take) to complete the survey on-line at: http://tinyurl.com/Horizons-Alden
ALSO – ask family members (including teens and pre-teens) to respond, and please forward this message to other Alden people!
NOTE: for those without internet access, a paper copy of the survey is also available. It is included in July issue of the Alden newsletter.
