Our Communities of Northwest Stokes will be holding a community barbeque and music event this weekend. at the Francisco Community Building.
The gathering, set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, is to be part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the community, according to organizers.
“Our Communities believes that our corner of the world is very special,” the group said in announcing the event. “The natural beauty of the area, combined with a rich fabric of local farmers and newly arrived friends all committed to preserving the country charm of the place while ensuring economic viability, provide a unique opportunity to build a strong and vibrant community. The event on June 24 is the first step in the next phase of that build.”
For almost 10 years, teams of Our Communities volunteers have worked with other area organizations such as the Francisco Ruritans and Francisco Fire Department’s Auxiliary to help achieve its mission of revitalization.
“Our Communities believes the first step towards revitalization is building a community that is strong enough to achieve its goals,” the group said. “Volunteers work to strengthen the community and bring people closer together through a variety of programs, classes and events, neighbor-to-neighbor support, and, of course, Our Communities’s signature annual event: Francisco FarmFest. All of this work fortifies the community’s ability to determine its development path.”
Since its inception, Our Communities and its nonprofit foundation have produced, supported, and funded dozens of community projects and events. Among those efforts are several small grants that support various aspects of community life. Recent grants supported a technology class at Piney Grove Middle School, where students constructed cedar picnic tables to be used for outdoor lunch breaks. North Stokes High School made use of grant funding to develop a trail used by school athletes, and science and art students. Another project funded by an Our Communities grant was a highway beautification project in Francisco.
“This year in addition to the annual micro grants, Our Communities is actively working to expand the community projects and events to include the initial steps to create a park with walking trails in Francisco, more classes, and enhanced event presentations,” officials with the group said. “This expansion will require a more robust income stream than has been funded via sponsorships received in support of FarmFest.
“Come and enjoy an evening of barbeque and music, and learn more about how you can help to build a thriving community,” they said of Saturday’s free barbecue and blue grass concert.
“The event celebrates everything that volunteers, donors and supporters of Our Communities have achieved by working together in recent years, and it kicks off the organization’s first ever annual giving campaign. There is no entry fee.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com