By LOUIS JEANTETE and LYNN SKALL

Twenty-five community champions gathered at Living World Ministries’ Fellowship Hall in late February to participate in an Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Workshop. Attendees collaborated to develop a comprehensive Community Calendar, identified Questa area “assets,” created solution-based project ideas, and voted on the top four initiatives that will most benefit the community. The theme for the day was, “Why not Questa!”

Facilitator, Louis Jeantete guided individual and group exercises to foster collaboration and creative thinking. The participants identified over 375 events for the community calendar, and more than 60 quality-of-life community-based “assets” including individuals, organizations, institutions, and physical resources.

Attendees were then asked to envision their desired future for the community and outline a project they would work to see implemented.

During lunch, attendees pitched their visions to their fellow community members, painting a vivid picture of what their successful project would look like in one year. Twenty-one unique community development ideas were presented.

Individuals used “Dot Voting” to prioritize the top five community projects they would support. The four projects that received the most votes were “sanctioned” by the group as the ABCD Workshop key focus areas for asset-based community development.

These top four initiatives are:
• Support the development of a Questa Youth Center.
• Address Day Care/Child Care Needs.
• Establish Affordable Workforce Housing.
• Start an Agricultural Food Co-op to create sustainable, local food sources.

Attendees joined one of the four project groups where short-term action plans were drafted. Jeantete will provide on-going coaching to help them develop long term SMART goals with clear timelines.
“Why not Questa!” If you are inspired to be a part of these initiatives, contact Lynn Skall at lynn@questaedf.com.