Hays community members were invited to attend a Strategic Doing hosted by the Heartland Community Foundation on Sept. 9 at the Rose Garden.

The Strategic Doing is a place for involved people from Ellis County to share their ideas and goals to benefit the area and apply for grants to put towards their community projects.

According to facilitator Betty Johnson, grants are generally given to projects that have gone through the Strategic Doing process.

The members with previous started projects updated the group.

 Previously started projects:

• The Neighbor Project, a project celebrating cultural diversity.
• Interactive Technology at Breathe Coffee House.
• The Arc-Park, an all-accessible playground.

 After the updates, Johnson asked the crowd to sit by others they may not know well. She then asked them, “How do we make Ellis County the place we want it to be?”

The group wrote a few of their ideas on large sticky notes.

These ideas consisted of:

• Affordable senior housing
• Affordable childcare
• Community engagement
• Altering the generation gap
• Rental regulations
• Increase in foster care families
• Larger domestic violence center

The next Strategic Doing is to be held on Oct. 8.

“Bring your friends and family,” Johnson said. “It is important to get community ideas shared.”

20ahillebrand@usd489.com