Energize Clinton County
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the problem:
Before the nation began talking about a recession, Wilmington, OH was experiencing one of the worst economic crisis in U.S. history. Last May, DHL announced the closure of its US air freight hub--the town's largest employer--eliminating an estimated 10,000 jobs in this rural town of only 12,000 by May 2009.
Wilmington's situation has highlighted the vulnerabilities that face other communities which lack the economic security that is provided by thriving local and diverse economies.
We have also come to more fully realize what is at stake for our community. In 2010, we are celebrating the bicentennial of Wilmington and Clinton County, and as a community we have been reflecting on the rich history and culture of our home. Within this historical context, we have thought about ourselves as young Americans raised as 'global citizens,' having been taught that we should always be seeking the next 'somewhere else.' Yet, this solely global perspective has led us to overlook the cost associated with the viewpoint, namely the loss of 'places' like Wilmington. These 'places' are where our communities, history, and social capital reside, and they provide us with the substance of being that keeps us tied to the world.
The severe layoffs in Wilmington have forced us to confront the significance of losing our hometown. By coming home to work, we have had the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to repairing the place that anchors us to the world. The things that make Wilmington an important place to us are the same things that make our work powerful, such as its historical narrative, the communal social ties we share with the people with whom we work, and inspiration provided by our friends and families. Working as members of our own community gives our work a unique purpose that only arises when the people engaged in the work are fully anchored to the place in which they work. We hope that our work will help shift perspective back to the value of places, and provide others with a living model for the impact that can be made by investing in the places that make us who we are.
vital stats:
people impacted:
43,242people involved:
40why it's important:
Energize Clinton County formed to address the immediate economic needs of our community, while seeking to provide a model for sustainable development especially tailored for economically distressed communities. ECC's strategy for economic development derives from its holistic approach focused on providing immediate economic relief which lays a foundation for future sustainable development.
As young people serving our community, we bring a unique presence to ECC. In order to address the need that exists in small, rural communities, there must be a component of young, energetic, and local involvement. In recent years Ohio has struggled to keep its best and brightest young people in the state, and we hope that our efforts can demonstrate a renewed value for young people working in their own communities. We believe that involvement of young people in the community development process is central in developing an integrated perspective of past, present and future that is an essential and innovative component of our model for change.
ECC seeks to address the multifaceted issues related to community economic empowerment by serving as a community-based economic development organization which integrates policy development, community capacity building, and education to facilitate economic development.
the plan of action:
The mantra of ECC has been "make the most of what we have" by plugging the leaks in our local economy. The historic lack of participation on the economic development process in our community has demonstrated that there are many valuable, untapped assets which now need to be cultivated to spur economic growth. To bring out these assets we have focused on three pillars that promote community participation and greater economic awareness: (1) energy efficiency and maximizing the value of our infrastructure, (2) investing in our community by buying local and supporting locally, independently-owned businesses, (3) developing a local food economy around our strong agricultural base.
Our organization's role is illustrated through three major components: policy development, community capacity building, and education. We see each component as interrelated, and that together they serve as a catalyst towards our organizational mission of creating a model for small, rural communities which lack economic capacity and ownership.
What defines us as a development organization is our emphasis on an empowerment approach to rural development, breaking from typical U.S. "top down" approaches and building on international development models. Economic sustainability will not come from policy or business alone, and will only arise through an empowered community that takes ownership for its economic future. Empowering the community in this way is a complicated process, and requires facilitating a shift that is as much philosophical and cultural as economic. We therefore place equal emphasis on education, capacity building, civic engagement, and policy development to support community empowerment.
We believe that this locally-based, bottom-up approach, that is designed around economic sustainability, and which aims to increase local ownership, will provide a new and innovative approach for economically distressed communities, not only in Ohio, but across the country.
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Comments
You might want to re-check your numbers. Out of all the employees who lost their jobs at DHL, only 1500 were from Clinton County. The rest lived in Dayton, Cincinnati, etc. The biggest problem is the ripple effect of all the people who lost their jobs in other businesses as a result of no more foot traffic in Wilmington from DHL people.