Ellsworth, IA

After evaluating the Tax Assistance Day in Ellsworth, it was decided that it should be offered each year. Most preferred a later date…perhaps in March.

After several City Council meetings, the council members voted in the March meeting to have the City of Ellsworth act as the fiscal agent for the Horizons Project in town. Our “coach”, Barb Wollan, helped us by gathering data on how other towns in Iowa and many towns from the Midwest are using their city Councils as fiscal agents. Our city attorney looked at all the data. The information was helpful and key in the vote to finally get our town’s fiscal agent in place. Now we are able to apply for the funds that our community has worked very dedicatedly toward.

There have been meetings, lists have been made, phone calls dialed, information gathered. One more meeting in February should put the noon meals program into action for the community of Ellsworth. The fire department/EMT’s in our town are grateful for this program as daily contact will be made with our shut-ins, those in recovery, or those who simply have needs. The noon meals program will be a great help to many in our community…and at a VERY low cost.

While gathering in study circles, a comment was made concerning the flower pots in the main street area and the flower beds near the Welcome to Ellsworth sign, the community center, and in the city park. The group that always planted and cared for these plants would be unable to fund these this year. The few people that had cared for them in the past needed assistance to keep them watered and cared for. Seventeen youth and eight adults gathered together on a Saturday morning to plant flowers to help in “Making Ellsworth Beautiful”. Working together with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, funding was made available for this Join Hands Day Project. Horizons members worked with the youth, helping them to plant and water these plants. Throughout the summer, various Horizon members took turns watering, weeding, and caring for these flower beds. While our downtown area is hurting with several empty buildings and some buildings in need of repair, the flower pots helped to brighten the area with their blooming flowers all summer. This project also allowed adults in the community to work with some of our youth - and the youth to have a chance to take some ownership within the community.

As 2007 ended, our small community was faced with many sad and tragic events. We were challenged as a community to reach out, to care…and care we did! The realtionships formed in Study Circles and the skills learned in Leadership Plenty are serving this community well as we are being sensitive to the needs and feelings of the people in our community. New leaders stepped up to lead the important efforts of being community.

As 2008 began, another announcement that will impact Ellsworth. It was announced that Pella Windows, a manufacturing company in the nearby community of Story City, will be closing the first part of March. This closing will be felt not only in our commmunity, but also in our entire school district. The Horizons steering committee will come together this Wednesday to plan a meeting for community brainstorming.

Today’s headline in the Ames Tribune is “Iowa poverty rate up 30 percent” There is much for communities such as ours to do. Ellsworth has a “we can do it together” attitude!