Arlington Heart & Soul

---

Arlington Heart & Soul is designed to bring our community together by talking about and identifying what matters most to all of us. The Community Heart & Soul Grant awarded to the village of Arlington in July 2022, stretches over a two-year period and is used for the purpose of community development centering around three main principles:

1. Involve Everyone: Hearing from ALL residents of the community. Making sure those whose voices are often missing or overlooked in community dialogue is a priority throughout the process. Every resident has a seat at the table and every voice should be heard.
2. Focus On What Matters Most: When residents share what they love about where they live and identify their hopes for the future, common themes emerge. These are the things that matter most to residents and become the foundation for sound decision making.
3. Play The Long Game: This is just the beginning of an evolutionary way towns view themselves, how they govern, and how they make decisions about their future. They become equipped for the long run with the skills and tools to continue doing business guided by what matters most—their Heart & Soul.

Think of it as a period of working ground, planting seeds, watering, and then anticipating the growth and beauty that will certainly result! The Arlington Heart & Soul logo is meant to reflect this process and this hope, reminding us that as we are branching out, we remain rooted in who we are as a community while growing together.

In use for more than a decade in communities across the country, the Community Heart & Soul method is a proven participatory process that creates a shared sense of belonging that will strengthen the social, cultural and economic vitality of our town. The Heart and Soul program has been brought to us by the Orton Foundation and The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation in an effort to fully engage our entire village in identifying our core community values and laying a firm foundation for putting them to work.