Name of Community or Multi-Community: Henderson
Population: 986
Contact Person: Kelsey Bergen
Address: 1044 N Main Street PO Box 225, Henderson, NE 68371
Day Phone: (402) 723-4228 Eve. Phone: (402) 723-5478 E-mail: hchamber@mainstaycomm.net
Please check the submission style: Binder_______ Website__X
If website submission, what is the web address? _www.hendersonne.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Part I
1. Describe the community or multi-communities planning process.
a.How do citizens participate in the process?
Henderson has always taken the future of the community very seriously and has participated in many strategic and comprehensive planning processes in the past. In 2009, the comprehensive plan was 10 years old and the community hadn’t completed a strategic plan in a number of years, so the city of Henderson and Henderson Chamber of Commerce decided to conduct both planning processes simultaneously. Conducting both studies at the same time made it possible to save money and time because the two organizations worked together so employees and citizens did not have to repeat the process two separate times.
For the strategic plan, lead by the Heartland Center for Leadership Development, residents of Henderson and the surrounding area were involved in the process in four ways including: town hall meetings, personal telephone interviews, focus groups and an online survey. To generate interest in this process the Henderson Chamber of Commerce encouraged citizens to participate by personal invitation, written invitation by way of post cards, newspaper articles and letters to significant organizations within the community.
During the comprehensive plan, facilitated by Keith Marvin of Marvin Planning Consultants, citizens were encouraged to participate in the planning process through meetings open to the public, which were advertised in the local newspapers and by email. Members of the local planning commission, city council, and chamber of commerce were specifically asked to be a part of the process, since they would be immediately affected by the new plan. During this process, citizens were encouraged to give feedback on the comprehensive plan as proposed by Keith Marvin. At each meeting, the group reviewed a different section of the comprehensive plan making changes according to the history of the community of Henderson and the needs of the residents living in the community. This was a great way to tailor the plan to fit our unique community according to the opinion of our citizens.
b.What methods are used to set goals and priorities to build consensus toward a common vision.
The Henderson Chamber of Commerce specifically chose to participate in a strategic plan in order to set goals and priorities for the near future. This process, based on a planning tool known as Appreciative Inquiry, asked participants to think about community successes that they appreciate and then capture lessons from those achievements that might be applied to the future. The Henderson Chamber of Commerce chose this particular process because it focused on the positive aspects of the community and how we can grow and expand them, instead of focusing on the negative aspects that need to be “fixed.” The appreciative inquiry process covers four phases: discover the past, dream about the future, create a vision statement, design short-term goals and deliver results. During the first town hall meeting the Heartland Center for Leadership Development facilitated the start of the process and the evening ended with participants writing vision statements for the community such as: “to not be complacent, but to be progressive by creating opportunity for quality living,” “a friendly, growing community experiencing economic and industrial growth based on our education, religious and heritage values,” “a growing, vibrant community that encourages entrepreneurial ventures while maintaining family, faith based values,” “hold on to what we have.” These were the vision statements that were compiled in A Community Assessment and Strategic Planning Report with Observations and Recommendations by the Heartland Center for Leadership Development.
See Appendix I: A Community Assessment and Strategic Planning Report with Observations and Recommendations.
For the Comprehensive Plan, Keith Marvin attended all of the strategic planning meetings in order to incorporate the goals and ideas of the strategic plan into the comprehensive plan as well. Through the process of finalizing and completing the comprehensive plan, the planning commission, city council, and chamber representatives worked to form goals that were in line with the vision statements created in the strategic planning process.
See Appendix II: City of Henderson Comprehensive Plan
c. What methods are used to evaluate community progress?
Since the strategic planning process was completed by the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors have assumed the responsibility of evaluating progress on a regular basis. As the core groups created through the strategic planning process are still forming and solidifying, the chamber is acting as the driving force to implement the goals of the community and get these committees off the ground. Once the new committees are formed, the chamber executive director will continue to work with committees to set monthly meetings and form officers, so the committee can become self-sustaining. At that point the chamber will continue work with each committee and give them encouragement and evaluation to insure that they are inline with the vision statements set forth by the strategic plan.
Since the city of Henderson was responsible for the comprehensive plan, the city clerk and city council will be responsible for following through with the goals set forth by the comprehensive plan. The evaluation of the community’s progress in this area will take place on a yearly basis and as need when community development issues are dealt with such as housing development, zoning changes, and community improvement efforts.
d.Describe the type of plans and strategies that have been developed by the community.
During the design phase of the strategic planning process, participants identified several priorities that they could embrace including:
• Connecting youth and businesses
• Attracting and retaining people
• Downtown revitalization
• Housing
• Industry attraction
• Business development
• Community center
• Business transfer
• Street improvement/Main Street
• Welcome new residents
• Heritage park
• Information/promotion
• Alumni
• Donations to community foundation
Of these priorities which were identified during the first town hall meeting, four categories emerged repeatedly during the second town hall meeting. These became the focus of the task forces that were established. Participants at the second town hall meeting chose one of the following task force committees to continue the discussion and implementation in our community.
• Attract and retain young people
• Housing
• Business development/support local business
• Community center
After everyone split into these groups, they further brainstormed about the idea of implementing this into our community. Participants discussed short-term goals to achieve these priorities, listed other people who should be invited to the next task force meeting and created a database of contact information for those who attended the second town hall meeting.
The comprehensive plan incorporated the priorities identified in the strategic plan and expanded them to include goals and objectives in the following areas. Housing goals 1-3, Economic Development Goals 1-4, Recreational Goals 1-2, Educational Goals 1-3, Fire Protection, Law Enforcement and Public Safety, and Environmental Goals.
e. What style/type of community assessment and planning program does your community utilize?
For our strategic planning process the Henderson Chamber of Commerce chose to utilize the Heartland Center for Leadership Development. Under their direction, the community of Henderson participated in the appreciative inquiry approach to plan for the future. Appreciative Inquiry helps people discover positive perspectives and explore new ways of working together towards the common goals that motivate all stakeholders. This was the first time the Heartland Center was used in Henderson, but similar assessments have been conducted in the past including the START program in 1990. The comprehensive plan was completed by Keith Marvin of Marvin Planning Consultants. The city of Henderson continually updates the city’s comprehensive plan every 10 years to keep an up-to-date list of goals for the community.
2. Describe the community’s efforts to develop local leadership and volunteerism.
Include efforts to involve and recruit a broad base of volunteers in the planning and implementation of community wide projects. Also, include efforts to develop volunteers through training opportunities and volunteer recognition.
The community of Henderson has many volunteer based groups that serve the community in many ways. Some of these groups include the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, Henderson Heritage Committee, Henderson Recreation Department, Henderson Fire and Rescue Department, Henderson Community Foundation, Henderson Health Care Foundation, Henderson Health Care Auxiliary, Henderson Health Care Junior Auxiliary, and various church and youth groups. While these groups of individuals work towards their own goals, they are also community minded and help us reach our community goals. When large projects are taking place and a large number of volunteers are needed to be involved, many of these groups are contacted for support. For example, when the new play structure was built near the swimming pool, the City Council, Henderson Recreation Department, Henderson Chamber of Commerce and Heartland High School FFA Chapter were all contacted to volunteer in building the structure. In the same way, many of Henderson’s community events, such as the Henderson Home Show, Henderson Community Days and community Noodle Soup Supper, involve several volunteer organizations. Whenever additional volunteers are needed, these groups are contacted by phone and general volunteer request articles are submitted to the local newspaper.
Having a strong group of volunteers is vital to our community, but even more important is involving our younger generation, so they can develop the desire to volunteer in the future. The Henderson Chamber of Commerce invites youth in our community to help with various volunteer projects, so they can see people they look up to working toward the common goal of making the community of Henderson a better place. Each year the Henderson Chamber of Commerce completes a community service project by cleaning up litter along three miles of the spur where people enter the community. Each year the Chamber invites a youth organization to help with this project, so they can learn the importance of volunteering by example. In 2009 the Heartland FFA Chapter was asked to volunteer and in 2010 students from Grace Children’s Home were involved in the project. Heartland Community Schools has also taught their students the importance of volunteering through different volunteer projects each year. In 2010, the 7th and 8th grade classes volunteered at the Henderson Sports Complex, helping the Henderson Recreation Department prepare for the upcoming softball/baseball season.
3. How does your community identify community organizations and their roles?
a. Describe how this information is shared and used in the community.
Community organizations are identified when there is a need in the community. Usually these needs are addressed during our regular strategic planning and comprehensive planning sessions. These groups are formed with people who have a like interest in the same activity or organization. All of these community organizations have a board of directors or group of officers who outline the roles of this organization and help them work towards the goals set forth by the group. Community organization often use the local newspaper to advertise meetings, invite new members, and report on projects that have been completed by the group. Other ways to share information with the community are through the local television channel, Mainstay Communications website and city of Henderson website. The information provided by community organizations is used to recruit new members and create an awareness for the general community of all the projects taking place.
b. Describe how various organizations work together to plan and implement projects and maximize resources.
Many community organizations work together for larger community events or large projects. The Henderson Chamber of Commerce and city of Henderson work closely together because both entities enhance the other, making the community a better place to live, work and raise a family. Recently these two entities were able to maximize their resources by working together on the strategic plan and comprehensive plan. Since the Chamber applied for a JOBS Grant through the Federal Home Loan Bank, both entities were able to have smaller-out-of-pocket costs to complete these very important projects. They were able to further maximize their resources by having both consulting groups work together on the plans so community members would have less overlap and facilitation costs would be less with the sharing of common information between the two plans. From a community service standpoint, many community organization work together to plan and follow through with the annual community days celebrations. Organizations included in this project each year include, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, Henderson Heritage Committee, Henderson Recreation Department, Henderson Health Care Auxiliary and Junior Auxiliary, and Henderson Fire & Rescue Department. With such a large number of community organizations, it is difficult to avoid overlap and have each organizations work toward common goals. As a result, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce has become the common link between all volunteer organization. By receiving minutes from the meetings of different community organizations, the Henderson Chamber can align and involve volunteer in an efficient and expedient manner and connect organizations when they are working on similar projects. This makes it possible for the community to maximize the resources we have and complete large projects that would not be possible otherwise.
4. Has your community conducted a needs assessment survey in the last three years?
Yes - The community conducted a needs assessment survey in 2009 as part of the communities strategic and comprehensive planning process. The Heartland Center’s Community Capacity Questionnaire was available online between October 21, 2009 and January 8, 2010. The Community Capacity Questionnaire consisted of a five-point scale for respondents to rank the 44 different indicator questions regarding community participation and leadership, the local economy and investment in the community. Additionally, another 15 questions were added to this survey instrument. These questions contained basic demographic, future of the community and satisfaction with certain community sectors and services. The results of the survey were used by the Heartland Center for Leadership Development for the strategic plan and by Marvin Planning Consultants for the comprehensive plan. As we head into the future, this survey will continue to shape our goals to fit the communities needs.
See Appendix III: Henderson Nebraska Community Assessment Survey Results.
5. Has your community conducted an inventory of resources or started to enter data into the Location One Information System (LOIS) or the Nebraska Economic Development Info (NEDI online)? Yes X No___
The city of Henderson currently maintains a community conducted inventory resource through the Nebraska Economic Development Info (NEDI) website.
Appendix IV: City of Henderson NEDI Profile
6. Does your community have a website? Yes__X___ No ________
Website: www.cityofhenderson.org
7. Did your community submit a website nomination for the Governor’s Community Spirit Award? Yes___X___ No _______
a.How do citizens participate in the process?
Henderson has always taken the future of the community very seriously and has participated in many strategic and comprehensive planning processes in the past. In 2009, the comprehensive plan was 10 years old and the community hadn’t completed a strategic plan in a number of years, so the city of Henderson and Henderson Chamber of Commerce decided to conduct both planning processes simultaneously. Conducting both studies at the same time made it possible to save money and time because the two organizations worked together so employees and citizens did not have to repeat the process two separate times.
For the strategic plan, lead by the Heartland Center for Leadership Development, residents of Henderson and the surrounding area were involved in the process in four ways including: town hall meetings, personal telephone interviews, focus groups and an online survey. To generate interest in this process the Henderson Chamber of Commerce encouraged citizens to participate by personal invitation, written invitation by way of post cards, newspaper articles and letters to significant organizations within the community.
During the comprehensive plan, facilitated by Keith Marvin of Marvin Planning Consultants, citizens were encouraged to participate in the planning process through meetings open to the public, which were advertised in the local newspapers and by email. Members of the local planning commission, city council, and chamber of commerce were specifically asked to be a part of the process, since they would be immediately affected by the new plan. During this process, citizens were encouraged to give feedback on the comprehensive plan as proposed by Keith Marvin. At each meeting, the group reviewed a different section of the comprehensive plan making changes according to the history of the community of Henderson and the needs of the residents living in the community. This was a great way to tailor the plan to fit our unique community according to the opinion of our citizens.
b.What methods are used to set goals and priorities to build consensus toward a common vision.
The Henderson Chamber of Commerce specifically chose to participate in a strategic plan in order to set goals and priorities for the near future. This process, based on a planning tool known as Appreciative Inquiry, asked participants to think about community successes that they appreciate and then capture lessons from those achievements that might be applied to the future. The Henderson Chamber of Commerce chose this particular process because it focused on the positive aspects of the community and how we can grow and expand them, instead of focusing on the negative aspects that need to be “fixed.” The appreciative inquiry process covers four phases: discover the past, dream about the future, create a vision statement, design short-term goals and deliver results. During the first town hall meeting the Heartland Center for Leadership Development facilitated the start of the process and the evening ended with participants writing vision statements for the community such as: “to not be complacent, but to be progressive by creating opportunity for quality living,” “a friendly, growing community experiencing economic and industrial growth based on our education, religious and heritage values,” “a growing, vibrant community that encourages entrepreneurial ventures while maintaining family, faith based values,” “hold on to what we have.” These were the vision statements that were compiled in A Community Assessment and Strategic Planning Report with Observations and Recommendations by the Heartland Center for Leadership Development.
 |
| Strategic Planning Meeting |
See Appendix I: A Community Assessment and Strategic Planning Report with Observations and Recommendations.
For the Comprehensive Plan, Keith Marvin attended all of the strategic planning meetings in order to incorporate the goals and ideas of the strategic plan into the comprehensive plan as well. Through the process of finalizing and completing the comprehensive plan, the planning commission, city council, and chamber representatives worked to form goals that were in line with the vision statements created in the strategic planning process.
See Appendix II: City of Henderson Comprehensive Plan
c. What methods are used to evaluate community progress?
Since the strategic planning process was completed by the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors have assumed the responsibility of evaluating progress on a regular basis. As the core groups created through the strategic planning process are still forming and solidifying, the chamber is acting as the driving force to implement the goals of the community and get these committees off the ground. Once the new committees are formed, the chamber executive director will continue to work with committees to set monthly meetings and form officers, so the committee can become self-sustaining. At that point the chamber will continue work with each committee and give them encouragement and evaluation to insure that they are inline with the vision statements set forth by the strategic plan.
Since the city of Henderson was responsible for the comprehensive plan, the city clerk and city council will be responsible for following through with the goals set forth by the comprehensive plan. The evaluation of the community’s progress in this area will take place on a yearly basis and as need when community development issues are dealt with such as housing development, zoning changes, and community improvement efforts.
d.Describe the type of plans and strategies that have been developed by the community.
During the design phase of the strategic planning process, participants identified several priorities that they could embrace including:
• Connecting youth and businesses
• Attracting and retaining people
• Downtown revitalization
• Housing
• Industry attraction
• Business development
• Community center
• Business transfer
• Street improvement/Main Street
• Welcome new residents
• Heritage park
• Information/promotion
• Alumni
• Donations to community foundation
Of these priorities which were identified during the first town hall meeting, four categories emerged repeatedly during the second town hall meeting. These became the focus of the task forces that were established. Participants at the second town hall meeting chose one of the following task force committees to continue the discussion and implementation in our community.
• Attract and retain young people
• Housing
• Business development/support local business
• Community center
After everyone split into these groups, they further brainstormed about the idea of implementing this into our community. Participants discussed short-term goals to achieve these priorities, listed other people who should be invited to the next task force meeting and created a database of contact information for those who attended the second town hall meeting.
The comprehensive plan incorporated the priorities identified in the strategic plan and expanded them to include goals and objectives in the following areas. Housing goals 1-3, Economic Development Goals 1-4, Recreational Goals 1-2, Educational Goals 1-3, Fire Protection, Law Enforcement and Public Safety, and Environmental Goals.
e. What style/type of community assessment and planning program does your community utilize?
For our strategic planning process the Henderson Chamber of Commerce chose to utilize the Heartland Center for Leadership Development. Under their direction, the community of Henderson participated in the appreciative inquiry approach to plan for the future. Appreciative Inquiry helps people discover positive perspectives and explore new ways of working together towards the common goals that motivate all stakeholders. This was the first time the Heartland Center was used in Henderson, but similar assessments have been conducted in the past including the START program in 1990. The comprehensive plan was completed by Keith Marvin of Marvin Planning Consultants. The city of Henderson continually updates the city’s comprehensive plan every 10 years to keep an up-to-date list of goals for the community.
2. Describe the community’s efforts to develop local leadership and volunteerism.
Include efforts to involve and recruit a broad base of volunteers in the planning and implementation of community wide projects. Also, include efforts to develop volunteers through training opportunities and volunteer recognition.
The community of Henderson has many volunteer based groups that serve the community in many ways. Some of these groups include the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, Henderson Heritage Committee, Henderson Recreation Department, Henderson Fire and Rescue Department, Henderson Community Foundation, Henderson Health Care Foundation, Henderson Health Care Auxiliary, Henderson Health Care Junior Auxiliary, and various church and youth groups. While these groups of individuals work towards their own goals, they are also community minded and help us reach our community goals. When large projects are taking place and a large number of volunteers are needed to be involved, many of these groups are contacted for support. For example, when the new play structure was built near the swimming pool, the City Council, Henderson Recreation Department, Henderson Chamber of Commerce and Heartland High School FFA Chapter were all contacted to volunteer in building the structure. In the same way, many of Henderson’s community events, such as the Henderson Home Show, Henderson Community Days and community Noodle Soup Supper, involve several volunteer organizations. Whenever additional volunteers are needed, these groups are contacted by phone and general volunteer request articles are submitted to the local newspaper.
Having a strong group of volunteers is vital to our community, but even more important is involving our younger generation, so they can develop the desire to volunteer in the future. The Henderson Chamber of Commerce invites youth in our community to help with various volunteer projects, so they can see people they look up to working toward the common goal of making the community of Henderson a better place. Each year the Henderson Chamber of Commerce completes a community service project by cleaning up litter along three miles of the spur where people enter the community. Each year the Chamber invites a youth organization to help with this project, so they can learn the importance of volunteering by example. In 2009 the Heartland FFA Chapter was asked to volunteer and in 2010 students from Grace Children’s Home were involved in the project. Heartland Community Schools has also taught their students the importance of volunteering through different volunteer projects each year. In 2010, the 7th and 8th grade classes volunteered at the Henderson Sports Complex, helping the Henderson Recreation Department prepare for the upcoming softball/baseball season.
 |
| Heartland FFA Chapter and Henderson Chamber members after cleaning up litter on the spur. |
3. How does your community identify community organizations and their roles?
a. Describe how this information is shared and used in the community.
Community organizations are identified when there is a need in the community. Usually these needs are addressed during our regular strategic planning and comprehensive planning sessions. These groups are formed with people who have a like interest in the same activity or organization. All of these community organizations have a board of directors or group of officers who outline the roles of this organization and help them work towards the goals set forth by the group. Community organization often use the local newspaper to advertise meetings, invite new members, and report on projects that have been completed by the group. Other ways to share information with the community are through the local television channel, Mainstay Communications website and city of Henderson website. The information provided by community organizations is used to recruit new members and create an awareness for the general community of all the projects taking place.
b. Describe how various organizations work together to plan and implement projects and maximize resources.
Many community organizations work together for larger community events or large projects. The Henderson Chamber of Commerce and city of Henderson work closely together because both entities enhance the other, making the community a better place to live, work and raise a family. Recently these two entities were able to maximize their resources by working together on the strategic plan and comprehensive plan. Since the Chamber applied for a JOBS Grant through the Federal Home Loan Bank, both entities were able to have smaller-out-of-pocket costs to complete these very important projects. They were able to further maximize their resources by having both consulting groups work together on the plans so community members would have less overlap and facilitation costs would be less with the sharing of common information between the two plans. From a community service standpoint, many community organization work together to plan and follow through with the annual community days celebrations. Organizations included in this project each year include, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, Henderson Heritage Committee, Henderson Recreation Department, Henderson Health Care Auxiliary and Junior Auxiliary, and Henderson Fire & Rescue Department. With such a large number of community organizations, it is difficult to avoid overlap and have each organizations work toward common goals. As a result, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce has become the common link between all volunteer organization. By receiving minutes from the meetings of different community organizations, the Henderson Chamber can align and involve volunteer in an efficient and expedient manner and connect organizations when they are working on similar projects. This makes it possible for the community to maximize the resources we have and complete large projects that would not be possible otherwise.
4. Has your community conducted a needs assessment survey in the last three years?
Yes - The community conducted a needs assessment survey in 2009 as part of the communities strategic and comprehensive planning process. The Heartland Center’s Community Capacity Questionnaire was available online between October 21, 2009 and January 8, 2010. The Community Capacity Questionnaire consisted of a five-point scale for respondents to rank the 44 different indicator questions regarding community participation and leadership, the local economy and investment in the community. Additionally, another 15 questions were added to this survey instrument. These questions contained basic demographic, future of the community and satisfaction with certain community sectors and services. The results of the survey were used by the Heartland Center for Leadership Development for the strategic plan and by Marvin Planning Consultants for the comprehensive plan. As we head into the future, this survey will continue to shape our goals to fit the communities needs.
See Appendix III: Henderson Nebraska Community Assessment Survey Results.
5. Has your community conducted an inventory of resources or started to enter data into the Location One Information System (LOIS) or the Nebraska Economic Development Info (NEDI online)? Yes X No___
The city of Henderson currently maintains a community conducted inventory resource through the Nebraska Economic Development Info (NEDI) website.
Appendix IV: City of Henderson NEDI Profile
6. Does your community have a website? Yes__X___ No ________
Website: www.cityofhenderson.org
7. Did your community submit a website nomination for the Governor’s Community Spirit Award? Yes___X___ No _______
Part II - Project Accomplishments
In no more than five pages per project, please address the following questions with written responses and/or supporting documentation, such as news articles and photos. A community may showcase a maximum of 5 projects in order to demonstrate its Project Accomplishments. Projects used to support the Governor's Community Spirit Award nomination may include those projects nominated for awards under the Special Project Awards category, although non-nominated projects may also be used.
Special Project - Heritage Park Schoolhouse
Special Project Award Nomination Information
Name of Community: Henderson Population: 986
Name of Project: School House at Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park
Name of Contact Person: Kelsey Bergen
Day Phone: (402) 723-4228 Eve Phone: (402) 723-5478 Email: hchamber@mainstaycomm.net
Category: Economic Development
Subcategory: Tourism Promotion and Development
Date Project Started (mo./yr.) 08/2009 Dated Completed: 05/2010
Is the Project Annual/Ongoing: Ongoing
Volunteer Hours: 500 Number of Volunteers: 15
1) Brief Description of the Project
It has been said “you don’t know who you are until you know where you came from.” From this quote came the desire for Henderson to create a place where community members, alumni and the general public could learn about the history of Henderson and the Mennonites who migrated to the Henderson area in 1874. As a result the Henderson Heritage and Tourism Committee was created in 1999 to make this dream become a reality. The mission of the Heritage and Tourism Committee is to educate visitors about the journey of the immigrants from Russia to Henderson, Nebraska. This is a remarkable story displaying much perseverance as the 35 families prepared to travel to settle in America and what they discovered upon their arrival. Over the past ten years this committee has been extremely active in the development of the Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park. In 2002 a house, which was built in Henderson in 1900, was moved to the park. In 2004, construction began on a replica of the Immigrant House, where 35 Mennonite families crowded into the long narrow building and anxiously awaited the completion of their own homes before winter set in. This roughly constructed building served as the Mennonites first home in America and symbolized their determination to seek out a place where their way of life could be preserved. The most recently completed project at Heritage Park was the restoration of the District 73E Schoolhouse, which was completed in May. This will not be the last project completed at Heritage Park, but it was a very important project none the less. With the addition of the school, the park now can provide guests with a look at what school was like 60 years ago. This building was the original schoolhouse for the area, so it adds more nostalgia and history to the park.
2) Identify the planning and implementation of the project
a) Describe the methods used to plan and implement the project
When the idea for Heritage Park began, an overall layout of the property was designed. This layout included the immigrant house, a farm house, horse barn, general store, schoolhouse, a church and train depot. Over the past 10 years these buildings have moved onto the property as funds have allowed. At this point the immigrant house, horse barn, farm house, general store and schoolhouse are complete. During the summer of 2009 the old schoolhouse was moved onto the property beginning the process to incorporate the newest building into the park. The immigrant house and the general store are the only structures that have been constructed from scratch. All of the other buildings are original and have been moved onto the property.
b) Describe how the project relates to the community’s overall goals
The community of Henderson has a goal to continue to increase the quality of life available in Henderson and there are several ways that Heritage Park contributes to this. One way they contribute to this goal is through economic development. Part of economic development is bringing visitors into town to increase sales in business and tourism. A great way to bring individuals into a community is through tourism, which is why Heritage Park contributes to the community’s goal of increasing sales in town especially by non-residents. In addition the community realizes that the story of the Mennonites is unique and this story needs to be passed on to future generations. It is important for our youth to understand their heritage and the history of this community. If they are able to be proud of their community and are able to find value in the community they will be more likely to move back to the community for employment and to raise a family, which also contributes to one of the communities goals of retaining our youth. Finally the community wants to encourage involvement in specialty organizations and social opportunities within the community. Heritage Park is able to do both with their dedicated group of volunteers and their great schedule of activities happening throughout the year.
c) Describe how the project was identified as a priority for the community
As the older generations of our community begin to pass away, many of their stories about Henderson in the early years are lost forever. In order to document and retain these stories for years to come it was imperative that the Heritage and Tourism Committee began compiling stories and artifacts. Without this valuable information our future generations may never know the history of the Mennonites and how they migrated from Holland to Henderson. This is why the work of the Heritage and Tourism Committee and the artifacts at Heritage Park are such a priority for the community. In the short ten years that Heritage Park has existed we have already seen the positive effects of teaching this history to the youth of our community. For example, each year the Heartland Community School 4th grade class has a project connected with Heritage Park. This has given the students an interest in the history of their community. For their projects they collect stories from various community members, create a book, which is sold at Heritage Park, and give a presentation at the park during the school year.
3) Describe volunteer involvement in planning and implementing the project.
a) Describe how responsibilities were delegated among volunteers.
Most of the responsibilities for the restoration of the school house were covered by members of the Heritage and Tourism Committee. Since many of these members are retired they were able to commit a large amount of volunteer hours to complete the project in a timely manner. Based on the volunteers that were available, responsibilities were delegated to each volunteer by skill level and time that could be committed to the project.
b) Describe how volunteers were recruited for the project.
Volunteers were recruited for this project based on their skills and knowledge in renovation work. While many of the volunteers came from the Heritage and Tourism Committee, other volunteers were enlisted to assist with the large projects such as moving the school house onto the property. Volunteers were contacted directly by members of the Heritage and Tourism Committee or special interested groups would be contacted as a whole to assist when general help was needed.
4) Identify Project Outcomes
a) What did the community intend to change as a result of the project?
This project was intended to enhance Heritage Park and change the parks offerings to include information about education in this community through the actual schoolhouse students attended school in. By adding new buildings and attractions to Heritage Park, there is something new and different for visitors to learn about each time they visit the park. This will encourage people to visit the park on at least a yearly basis, which will enhance the awareness of Henderson’s history and stimulate financial support for the park itself.
b) Describe community wide support of the project.
There are many ways that the community of Henderson and the surrounding area have shown support for this project and Heritage Park in general. One way the park has been supported is through monetary donations throughout the year. Without this type of support the park would not have as many completed projects and there would be fewer completed buildings at the park. The community has also shown their support for this project through volunteering material and labor at Heritage Park. Organizations such as the Henderson Chamber of Commerce have held work nights at the park to volunteer their labor for tasks needed to be completed. In addition, local businesses have donated either materials or labor to various projects that have taken place at the park over the past 10 years. Finally the community has shown support for Heritage Park by attending the various events that are sponsored by Heritage Park each year. In February Heritage Park has a booth at the Henderson Home Show, which is staffed by volunteers from the Heritage and Tourism Committee. In April and May Heritage Park hosts the 4th Grade Research Project and Book Signing. During this project various items are donated for use at the park based on the topic of research. In June the Heritage and Tourism Committee organizes the Annual Garden Tour fundraiser, where residents volunteer their gardens to be on display. During Community Days in July, Heritage Park hosts a pancake feed, which is highly attended. They also host a special display at the park during this time of the year. Heritage Day is held every year at Heritage Park in September. During this event many community members volunteer to present demonstrations throughout the day. These demonstrations show those in attendance how the Mennonites lived when they migrated to Henderson and the struggles they faced just to wash their clothes, make food and care for their livestock. In December the Heritage and Tourism Committee organizes the Holiday Tour of Homes fundraiser. For this event community members volunteer their homes to be on display.
c) Describe how the final project impacted the community, including measurable data (Measurable data includes both qualitative and quantitative information).
One obvious way Heritage Park has impacted the community is through the number of people that Heritage Park has brought to Henderson. Every year the number of guests that visit Heritage Park grows. In 2005 the park had approximately 100 guests. In 2006 there were 200 guests that toured the park, About 400 guests were documented in 2007 and the park reached 1,000 guests in 2008. At this point in 2010 Heritage Park has had a bus tour, several family reunions, several class reunions and individual weekend visitors bring about 400 people to the park to-date. It is anticipated that 500-600 people will attend Heritage Day on September 11, meaning the park attendance for 2010 will be over 1,000 people. As more projects are completed at the park and the park is enhanced with landscape, artifacts and demonstrations the number of guests visiting the park each year will continue to grow. This directly impacts the businesses community as visitors of Heritage Park will likely eat at our local restaurants, visit our specialty shops and boutiques, and spend more money in town than their admission at the park.
5) Describe how resources were identified and used to successfully implement the project.
a) Monetary (grants, fund-raising, bonds, etc.)
The School House at Heritage Park was renovated with private donations, through fundraising done by the Heritage and Tourism Committee, and a grant from the York County Visitor’s Bureau. The process of raising money for this project took place over several years through various events hosted at Heritage Park and organized by the Heritage and Tourism Committee. These events include: the Annual Garden Tour, the Community Days Pancake Feed, park admissions, Heritage Day and the Holiday Tour of Homes.
Heritage Park as a whole has received several grants over the past few years for various projects and events. They received the 2006 Nebraska Community Enhancement Program Grant, which was an 80/20 matching grant. With this grant the Heritage and Tourism Committee was able to landscape the front of the park along Highway 93A. This grant was funded through the Nebraska Department of Roads and administered in cooperation with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Implantation of Landscaping Projects, which works to improve the state’s transportation corridors.
The most recent grant receive by Heritage Park is from the York County Visitor’s Bureau Improvement Fund, which they received in 2009. Through this grant they were able to receive $10,000 to move and reconstruction the District #73E Schoolhouse.
b) Material and supplies (purchases and donated)
The actual school house building was donated by an area resident who was using the school house as a garage. Materials for the reconstruction of the schoolhouse were purchased from local vendors. Many of these businesses sold the material to Heritage Park at a discounted rate, due to their 501 C 3 status and because this park is highly supported by the community. The Heritage and Tourism Committee also volunteered their time to build this project and donated the use of supplies needed to complete the construction such as hammers, ladders, paint brushes and other such material.
c) Labor (volunteer, in-kind, and paid services)
Labor for the reconstruction of the schoolhouse consisted of volunteer hours. The Heritage and Tourism Committee, completed all of the reconstructions for the schoolhouse on their own time.
6)Future Plans
a) How will the community build upon or follow-up with this project in the future?
Work has already begun to build upon the schoolhouse project and follow-up projects for Heritage Park are already in the planning process. The Heritage Committee continues to build upon this project by incorporating the schoolhouse into the Annual Heritage Day in September and using it for different events throughout the year. With the addition of the schoolhouse, people who have visited the park in the past are able to visit the park again and learn something new. The Heritage Committee has also built upon this project by selling bricks, which lead up to the schoolhouse. Several students and classes who attended District 73E were able to purchase bricks that financially support the park and enhance the history it offers. With the schoolhouse completed, the Heritage Committee is already planning for their next project, which will be a machine shed. While this project is in the early planning stages, the committee continues to draw more interest to the park with each project and event that is created.
b) What has the community learned from this project that can be applied to future development efforts?
Through the school house projects and the greater success of Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park, the community has learned how important our history, and in effect Heritage Park, is to the community and the surrounding area. By cultivating an interest in our communities history in the younger generations, they will be inclined to pass this history on to the next generation as well. The community can also learn what is possible with a clear goal and volunteer involvement. The Heritage Committee and Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park, is a product of volunteer work and it was amazing to see what this group of driven people have been able to accomplish over the past 10 years, creating a historical attraction from the ground up.
7) Please describe what aspects (if any) of the project were especially unique or creative?
Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park is unique for two reasons. First, it is unique that a town with less than 1,000 people can develop, sustain and grow a park such as this on donations and grants alone. Many communities our size would not be able to accomplish such an undertaking. Secondly, Heritage Park is unique because it tells the story of a specific group of people, the people that made Henderson what it is today. Other living history farms show the life of pilgrims or the early Midwest, but this was made specifically to share the hardships and trials of the 1874 journey of 35 Mennonite immigrant families who migrated from Holland to Russian and then to Henderson, Nebraska. Descendants of those 35 families still live in Henderson today and through Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park their story will never be forgotten.
York News-Times Article
York News-Times Article 2
Name of Community: Henderson Population: 986
Name of Project: School House at Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park
Name of Contact Person: Kelsey Bergen
Day Phone: (402) 723-4228 Eve Phone: (402) 723-5478 Email: hchamber@mainstaycomm.net
Category: Economic Development
Subcategory: Tourism Promotion and Development
Date Project Started (mo./yr.) 08/2009 Dated Completed: 05/2010
Is the Project Annual/Ongoing: Ongoing
Volunteer Hours: 500 Number of Volunteers: 15
1) Brief Description of the Project
It has been said “you don’t know who you are until you know where you came from.” From this quote came the desire for Henderson to create a place where community members, alumni and the general public could learn about the history of Henderson and the Mennonites who migrated to the Henderson area in 1874. As a result the Henderson Heritage and Tourism Committee was created in 1999 to make this dream become a reality. The mission of the Heritage and Tourism Committee is to educate visitors about the journey of the immigrants from Russia to Henderson, Nebraska. This is a remarkable story displaying much perseverance as the 35 families prepared to travel to settle in America and what they discovered upon their arrival. Over the past ten years this committee has been extremely active in the development of the Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park. In 2002 a house, which was built in Henderson in 1900, was moved to the park. In 2004, construction began on a replica of the Immigrant House, where 35 Mennonite families crowded into the long narrow building and anxiously awaited the completion of their own homes before winter set in. This roughly constructed building served as the Mennonites first home in America and symbolized their determination to seek out a place where their way of life could be preserved. The most recently completed project at Heritage Park was the restoration of the District 73E Schoolhouse, which was completed in May. This will not be the last project completed at Heritage Park, but it was a very important project none the less. With the addition of the school, the park now can provide guests with a look at what school was like 60 years ago. This building was the original schoolhouse for the area, so it adds more nostalgia and history to the park.
2) Identify the planning and implementation of the project
a) Describe the methods used to plan and implement the project
When the idea for Heritage Park began, an overall layout of the property was designed. This layout included the immigrant house, a farm house, horse barn, general store, schoolhouse, a church and train depot. Over the past 10 years these buildings have moved onto the property as funds have allowed. At this point the immigrant house, horse barn, farm house, general store and schoolhouse are complete. During the summer of 2009 the old schoolhouse was moved onto the property beginning the process to incorporate the newest building into the park. The immigrant house and the general store are the only structures that have been constructed from scratch. All of the other buildings are original and have been moved onto the property.
b) Describe how the project relates to the community’s overall goals
The community of Henderson has a goal to continue to increase the quality of life available in Henderson and there are several ways that Heritage Park contributes to this. One way they contribute to this goal is through economic development. Part of economic development is bringing visitors into town to increase sales in business and tourism. A great way to bring individuals into a community is through tourism, which is why Heritage Park contributes to the community’s goal of increasing sales in town especially by non-residents. In addition the community realizes that the story of the Mennonites is unique and this story needs to be passed on to future generations. It is important for our youth to understand their heritage and the history of this community. If they are able to be proud of their community and are able to find value in the community they will be more likely to move back to the community for employment and to raise a family, which also contributes to one of the communities goals of retaining our youth. Finally the community wants to encourage involvement in specialty organizations and social opportunities within the community. Heritage Park is able to do both with their dedicated group of volunteers and their great schedule of activities happening throughout the year.
c) Describe how the project was identified as a priority for the community
As the older generations of our community begin to pass away, many of their stories about Henderson in the early years are lost forever. In order to document and retain these stories for years to come it was imperative that the Heritage and Tourism Committee began compiling stories and artifacts. Without this valuable information our future generations may never know the history of the Mennonites and how they migrated from Holland to Henderson. This is why the work of the Heritage and Tourism Committee and the artifacts at Heritage Park are such a priority for the community. In the short ten years that Heritage Park has existed we have already seen the positive effects of teaching this history to the youth of our community. For example, each year the Heartland Community School 4th grade class has a project connected with Heritage Park. This has given the students an interest in the history of their community. For their projects they collect stories from various community members, create a book, which is sold at Heritage Park, and give a presentation at the park during the school year.
3) Describe volunteer involvement in planning and implementing the project.
a) Describe how responsibilities were delegated among volunteers.
Most of the responsibilities for the restoration of the school house were covered by members of the Heritage and Tourism Committee. Since many of these members are retired they were able to commit a large amount of volunteer hours to complete the project in a timely manner. Based on the volunteers that were available, responsibilities were delegated to each volunteer by skill level and time that could be committed to the project.
b) Describe how volunteers were recruited for the project.
Volunteers were recruited for this project based on their skills and knowledge in renovation work. While many of the volunteers came from the Heritage and Tourism Committee, other volunteers were enlisted to assist with the large projects such as moving the school house onto the property. Volunteers were contacted directly by members of the Heritage and Tourism Committee or special interested groups would be contacted as a whole to assist when general help was needed.
4) Identify Project Outcomes
a) What did the community intend to change as a result of the project?
This project was intended to enhance Heritage Park and change the parks offerings to include information about education in this community through the actual schoolhouse students attended school in. By adding new buildings and attractions to Heritage Park, there is something new and different for visitors to learn about each time they visit the park. This will encourage people to visit the park on at least a yearly basis, which will enhance the awareness of Henderson’s history and stimulate financial support for the park itself.
b) Describe community wide support of the project.
There are many ways that the community of Henderson and the surrounding area have shown support for this project and Heritage Park in general. One way the park has been supported is through monetary donations throughout the year. Without this type of support the park would not have as many completed projects and there would be fewer completed buildings at the park. The community has also shown their support for this project through volunteering material and labor at Heritage Park. Organizations such as the Henderson Chamber of Commerce have held work nights at the park to volunteer their labor for tasks needed to be completed. In addition, local businesses have donated either materials or labor to various projects that have taken place at the park over the past 10 years. Finally the community has shown support for Heritage Park by attending the various events that are sponsored by Heritage Park each year. In February Heritage Park has a booth at the Henderson Home Show, which is staffed by volunteers from the Heritage and Tourism Committee. In April and May Heritage Park hosts the 4th Grade Research Project and Book Signing. During this project various items are donated for use at the park based on the topic of research. In June the Heritage and Tourism Committee organizes the Annual Garden Tour fundraiser, where residents volunteer their gardens to be on display. During Community Days in July, Heritage Park hosts a pancake feed, which is highly attended. They also host a special display at the park during this time of the year. Heritage Day is held every year at Heritage Park in September. During this event many community members volunteer to present demonstrations throughout the day. These demonstrations show those in attendance how the Mennonites lived when they migrated to Henderson and the struggles they faced just to wash their clothes, make food and care for their livestock. In December the Heritage and Tourism Committee organizes the Holiday Tour of Homes fundraiser. For this event community members volunteer their homes to be on display.
c) Describe how the final project impacted the community, including measurable data (Measurable data includes both qualitative and quantitative information).
One obvious way Heritage Park has impacted the community is through the number of people that Heritage Park has brought to Henderson. Every year the number of guests that visit Heritage Park grows. In 2005 the park had approximately 100 guests. In 2006 there were 200 guests that toured the park, About 400 guests were documented in 2007 and the park reached 1,000 guests in 2008. At this point in 2010 Heritage Park has had a bus tour, several family reunions, several class reunions and individual weekend visitors bring about 400 people to the park to-date. It is anticipated that 500-600 people will attend Heritage Day on September 11, meaning the park attendance for 2010 will be over 1,000 people. As more projects are completed at the park and the park is enhanced with landscape, artifacts and demonstrations the number of guests visiting the park each year will continue to grow. This directly impacts the businesses community as visitors of Heritage Park will likely eat at our local restaurants, visit our specialty shops and boutiques, and spend more money in town than their admission at the park.
5) Describe how resources were identified and used to successfully implement the project.
a) Monetary (grants, fund-raising, bonds, etc.)
The School House at Heritage Park was renovated with private donations, through fundraising done by the Heritage and Tourism Committee, and a grant from the York County Visitor’s Bureau. The process of raising money for this project took place over several years through various events hosted at Heritage Park and organized by the Heritage and Tourism Committee. These events include: the Annual Garden Tour, the Community Days Pancake Feed, park admissions, Heritage Day and the Holiday Tour of Homes.
Heritage Park as a whole has received several grants over the past few years for various projects and events. They received the 2006 Nebraska Community Enhancement Program Grant, which was an 80/20 matching grant. With this grant the Heritage and Tourism Committee was able to landscape the front of the park along Highway 93A. This grant was funded through the Nebraska Department of Roads and administered in cooperation with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Implantation of Landscaping Projects, which works to improve the state’s transportation corridors.
The most recent grant receive by Heritage Park is from the York County Visitor’s Bureau Improvement Fund, which they received in 2009. Through this grant they were able to receive $10,000 to move and reconstruction the District #73E Schoolhouse.
b) Material and supplies (purchases and donated)
The actual school house building was donated by an area resident who was using the school house as a garage. Materials for the reconstruction of the schoolhouse were purchased from local vendors. Many of these businesses sold the material to Heritage Park at a discounted rate, due to their 501 C 3 status and because this park is highly supported by the community. The Heritage and Tourism Committee also volunteered their time to build this project and donated the use of supplies needed to complete the construction such as hammers, ladders, paint brushes and other such material.
c) Labor (volunteer, in-kind, and paid services)
Labor for the reconstruction of the schoolhouse consisted of volunteer hours. The Heritage and Tourism Committee, completed all of the reconstructions for the schoolhouse on their own time.
6)Future Plans
a) How will the community build upon or follow-up with this project in the future?
Work has already begun to build upon the schoolhouse project and follow-up projects for Heritage Park are already in the planning process. The Heritage Committee continues to build upon this project by incorporating the schoolhouse into the Annual Heritage Day in September and using it for different events throughout the year. With the addition of the schoolhouse, people who have visited the park in the past are able to visit the park again and learn something new. The Heritage Committee has also built upon this project by selling bricks, which lead up to the schoolhouse. Several students and classes who attended District 73E were able to purchase bricks that financially support the park and enhance the history it offers. With the schoolhouse completed, the Heritage Committee is already planning for their next project, which will be a machine shed. While this project is in the early planning stages, the committee continues to draw more interest to the park with each project and event that is created.
b) What has the community learned from this project that can be applied to future development efforts?
Through the school house projects and the greater success of Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park, the community has learned how important our history, and in effect Heritage Park, is to the community and the surrounding area. By cultivating an interest in our communities history in the younger generations, they will be inclined to pass this history on to the next generation as well. The community can also learn what is possible with a clear goal and volunteer involvement. The Heritage Committee and Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park, is a product of volunteer work and it was amazing to see what this group of driven people have been able to accomplish over the past 10 years, creating a historical attraction from the ground up.
7) Please describe what aspects (if any) of the project were especially unique or creative?
Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park is unique for two reasons. First, it is unique that a town with less than 1,000 people can develop, sustain and grow a park such as this on donations and grants alone. Many communities our size would not be able to accomplish such an undertaking. Secondly, Heritage Park is unique because it tells the story of a specific group of people, the people that made Henderson what it is today. Other living history farms show the life of pilgrims or the early Midwest, but this was made specifically to share the hardships and trials of the 1874 journey of 35 Mennonite immigrant families who migrated from Holland to Russian and then to Henderson, Nebraska. Descendants of those 35 families still live in Henderson today and through Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park their story will never be forgotten.
York News-Times Article
York News-Times Article 2
Special Project - Hospital Expansion Project.
Special Project Award Nomination Information
Name of Community: Henderson Population: 986
Name of Project: Hospital Expansion Project at Henderson Health Care Services, Inc.
Name of Contact Person: Kelsey Bergen
Day Phone: (402) 723-4228 Eve Phone: (402) 723-5478 Email: hchamber@mainstaycomm.net
Category: Community Development
Subcategory: Technology, Infrastructure, and Planning
Date Project Started (mo./yr.) 03/2009 Dated Completed: 02/2010
Is the Project Annual/Ongoing: Ongoing
Volunteer Hours: 100 Number of Volunteers: 12
1)Brief Description of the Project
Henderson Health Care Services, Inc. offers nationally accredited health care through state-of-the-art equipment and ongoing professional training. This acute-care and long term care facility employs approximately 95 highly trained people, with three employed active staff for the clinics and hospital and 40 consulting physicians in their respective specialties; including the fields of family practice, OB-GYN, general surgery, radiology, internal medicine, orthopaedics, and urology. Three areas of care, which are administered through six facilities, makeup Henderson Health Care Services. These areas include the hospital, Henderson Community Hospital; medical clinics, Henderson Family Care and Sutton Family Practice; and resident care facilities, Prairie Garden Estates, Rosewood Court Assisted Living and the Henderson Care Center.
Henderson Community Hospital has served the areas for 35 years in this facility, and renovations were necessary to stay progressive in the health care industry. The hospital expansion project enhanced many areas of medical care by adding 3 new patient rooms, a labor and delivery suite, emergency room, additional waiting room, second nurses’ station, office for the Director of Nurses and additional storage. In addition it allows the hospital to accommodate a larger number of patients and provide a safer, more pleasant environment for patients and staff. Included in the hospital addition were three private patient rooms with their own shower. Previously all patient rooms were semi-private and the only shower was located in the hallway. With the addition of these rooms, patients will have a better experience when admitted to the hospital for a short or long-term stay. The new Labor and Delivery Suite created extra space which allowed families to comfortably stay in the same room with the mother and newborn. An in-room bathroom with shower and whirlpool tub was also an improvement from the old labor room, which had neither. The emergency room layout was completely changed to include an entrance that allows a direct route from the back of the ambulance into the emergency room. The emergency room also has two beds to provide care to multiple patients at the same time, compared to the old emergency room, which only had one bed. The total project encompasses a total of 1,472 square feet of construction.
2) Identify the planning and implementation of the project
a) Describe the methods used to plan and implement the project
Planning for this project was organized through the Henderson Health Care Service Administration and Board of Directors. After some research, it was apparent that patients of the facility were interested in a health care facility that had private rooms and a better labor and delivery room. While it would not be possible to complete this project with volunteers due to the regulations that need to be met for a health care facility, it was obvious that volunteers would need to be found to raise the financial support for this large project. As a result the Henderson Health Care Foundation was contacted to find donors to cover $500,000 of the cost of the project. The Henderson Health Care Foundation is a group of volunteers who meet bi-monthly to work on fundraising options for the Henderson Health Care Services. For added financial support, Henderson Health Care Services worked with Mainstay Communications and the Henderson Chamber of Commerce to apply for a grant through the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Programs (REDLG). For this grant, Mainstay Communications was able to receive $300,000, which was loaned to Henderson Health Care Services at a 1 % interest rate. As the loan was paid back, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce received the 1% interest to use for economic development in return for writing the grant application and administrating the requirements of the grant. Once construction began on the hospital expansion project, the Henderson Health Care Services Administration and Board of Directors oversaw the construction end of the project, while the Henderson Health Care Foundation organized further donations.
b) Describe how the project relates to the community’s overall goals
Some of the goals for the hospital expansion project directly related to the community’s overall goals in the areas of quality of life and bringing new young families to Henderson. Henderson is located in York County, which has an aging population with increasing needs for healthcare locally. The county’s population is older than the population in the state of Nebraska with the elderly (aged 65+) representing 17.4% of York County compared to 13.6% of the state of Nebraska based on the 2000 census. The Henderson Community Hospital addition increases utilization of the hospital, ensuring that the community health care system remains viable. This contributes to creating jobs and generating income in the county by capturing existing income through encouraging residents to purchase more goods and services locally. As a whole, these items improve the local economy and enhance the well-being of the residents of Henderson. In this way, the new expansion at the hospital is increasing quality of life in Henderson by making more health care services available on a local level. This project also encouraged growth in local hospital visits for labor and delivery and regular patient care at Henderson Community Hospital. When a new family is looking for a new home, they want to be able to raise their family within the community. Having an up-to-date health care facility in town is part of that process. By offering prenatal care, labor and delivery care, immunizations, physicals, clinic services, specialty services, surgeries, general medical care and resident care the community of Henderson can appeal to potential residents at any stage of life. By offering all of the services available through Henderson Health Care Services and the newly expanded hospital, Henderson is able to offer a service to potential residents that isn’t available in many communities with a population under 1,000 people. This is a huge asset for the community to promote in resident recruitment efforts.
c) Describe how the project was identified as a priority for the community
Moving forward with the hospital expansion project was identified as a priority for the community because it enhanced the services that the Henderson Health Care Services staff was able to offer and it served a growing need in the community. With the addition of Dr. James Ohrt to the Henderson Health Care Services staff in 2006, the facility was able to offer caesarian sections in the labor and delivery department. This was a major step forward because for a number of years earlier the facility was not able to provide any labor and delivery services. As the labor and delivery program grew with Dr. Vanderneck, who delivered babies, and Dr. Ohrt, who performed caesarian sections, it was clear that the number of patients using the labor and delivery department was also growing. In order to continue to grow this patient base to better serve the community, Henderson Health Care Services decided to move forward with the hospital expansion project, which included a labor and delivery suite. Previously, the labor and delivery room did not have easy access for patients. There was not a bathroom in the labor and delivery room, so expecting mothers had to go to a different part of the hospital to use the restroom. The room was also not setup for extended stay of the mother and baby, meaning they would have to move to a different room within a few hours after delivery. By creating a new labor and delivery suite within the hospital expansion project, Henderson Health Care Services was able to serve a need that was identified as a priority for the community.
In addition to encouraging growth in local hospital visits for labor and delivery, this project was also a community identified priority due to the economic impact it would have on the community, which was twofold. With the increase in number of deliveries that would be happening at Henderson Health Care, the number of clinic patients and follow up visits would also increase, which would create more work for the current employees. It was estimated that two new full-time jobs would be added in the future to Henderson Health Care Services as a result of this project. The increase in patients using the hospital will ultimately increase the number of patients admitted to Henderson Community Hospital. The new jobs created by the hospital expansion project could potentially increase the hospital payroll by a total of $65,00. The additional wages circulating in the community will in effect provide economic benefits to the local business, stimulating the local economy.
3) Describe volunteer involvement in planning and implementing the project.
a) Describe how responsibilities were delegated among volunteers
The main responsibility for this project that was delegated among volunteers was the raising of funds to financially support the project. Since the Henderson Health Care Foundation is a group of volunteers working to raise money for improvements and equipment for Henderson Health Care Services, it was natural that the responsibility of raising funds for the project was delegated to them by the Henderson Health Care Services Board of Directors. Over a year before construction of the project was scheduled to start, the Henderson Health Care Foundation began raising funds and finding people who would volunteer to provide monetary support. Since the hospital expansion project had to meet specific health care building requirements by the state, it was not possible to have volunteers perform physical labor for the project, which is why no volunteers were delegated in this area.
b) Describe how volunteers were recruited for the project
The Henderson Health Care Foundation found many ways to recruit donors for the project. They held a Spring Fling Banquet fundraiser, where community members purchased meal tickets. During the banquet, there were raffle drawings and 50+ items were auctioned off to the highest bidder. All of the money raised by this event went toward the hospital expansion project. The foundation also contacted people who had previously donated to Henderson Health Care Services and invited them to a fundraising dinner. During the dinner they were offered several facility incentives based on their donation to the project. During the annual community days event, the Henderson Health Care Administration and Foundation worked together to organize a freewill donation hamburger fry to raise more money for the project as well.
4) Identify Project Outcomes.
a) What did the community intend to change as a result of the project?
Through this project the community wanted to see a change in the number of residents who used Henderson Health Care Services for all of their health care needs. In the time that Henderson Health Care Services was not able to offer all the health care services that a person or family would need, several community members chose to go to health care facilities in different towns. Once you go to a different community, it is difficult to transition back to another facility unless they change into a facility that can serve all of a patient’s needs. By offering all of these services, Henderson Health Care Services is now a facility that patients can use for their full spectrum of care. The community also wanted to stimulate the economy of Henderson by bringing people from the surrounding towns to our facility for their healthcare needs. Since several of the neighboring healthcare facilities are larger complexes, patients often experience long wait times and a lack of service. When this happens, they begin looking for a new healthcare facility. By adding the new and improved services available with the new hospital expansion, many residents from surrounding communities will consider Henderson Health Care as a place to go for their medical needs if they need to change facilities. Through this project, the community of Henderson also wanted to change the quality of life offered to the community members. While there was already a good quality of life offered, this project enhanced it by creating a facility where the aesthetic qualities matched the quality of service offered by Henderson Health Care employees and physicians.
b) Describe community wide support of the project.
Community support for this project was overwhelming from the monetary standpoint. Monetary Support for the project was shown from a wide range of people in the community, outside of the community as well as businesses owned within the community. To date there have been over 100 donors for this project with new donors still coming forward to help with additional costs covered by Henderson Health Care Services as they begin to remodel the old section of the hospital to match the new addition. Financial support for this project had an even greater significance considering the state of the economy during this project. In many places projects such as this would have been cut especially since there were so many other projects happening at the time in the community, but instead the community of Henderson came together to make sure the project was completed.
c) Describe how the final project impacted the community, including measurable data (Measurable data includes both qualitative and quantitative information).
As a result of this project, the city of Henderson and Henderson Health Care Services has seen an increase in the number of babies born in the facility with parents outside of the community. From January 2010 to August 2010 the number of babies born at Henderson Health Care Services with parents living in different towns was 62% compared to 46% during the same time last year. There have also been fewer residents of Henderson traveling out-of-town to deliver their babies, which has increased local support of the facility through this project. The community of Henderson as a whole has also seen an increase in the number of young families moving back to the community in the past six months. While there is no way to prove that their decision to move back was influenced by the completion of this project, it is obvious that the hospital expansion project enhances the community and what we have to offer, making the community more appealing to potential residents.
5) Describe how resources were identified and used to successfully implement the project.
a) Monetary (grants, fund-raising, bonds, etc.)
Monetary support for this project was generated in three ways through Henderson Health Care Services, a low interest loan through Mainstay Communication as part of REDLG, and donations made through the Henderson Health Care Foundation.
b) Material and supplies (purchases and donated)
All materials and supplies for this project were purchased by Henderson Health Care Services, Inc.
c) Labor (volunteer, in-kind, and paid services)
All labor was paid services.
6)Future Plans
a) How will the community build upon or follow-up with this project in the future?
The community will build upon and follow-up with this project through Henderson Health Care Services. Henderson Health Care Services has already started building on this project by renovating the older part of the hospital to coordinate with the new addition. This renovation includes moving services around to better serve the local community. For example the old emergency room was renovated into a relaxing mammography room and the old nurses’ lounge was reformatted into an ultrasound room. Previously the ultrasound room was the same as the delivery room, which would create a problem when deliveries were taking place on ultrasound days. Henderson Health Care Services has also built upon the new hospital addition by expanded the number of specialty clinics visiting the facility each month. In January, Henderson Health Care Services began teaming up with Lincoln Orthopaedic to offer an orthopaedic clinic twice a month in Henderson. This service has already been greatly used and appreciated in this short time. Henderson Health Care Services and the general community also plan to work together to follow-up this project in the future. In order to build upon the growing need for health care and physical fitness, Henderson Health Care Services will be teaming up with the City of Henderson to begin work on plans for a Community Center in the future. Since the community does not have a community center currently, this would be a huge asset for many areas of the community. While this project is in the early planning stage, no time line has been set, but it will be a great community centered follow-up project to further the health care available in our community.
b) What has the community learned from this project that can be applied to future development efforts?
Even though a large group of volunteers were not needed to do manual labor for this project, the community learned that residents were very willing to support the project financially despite the difficult economy. This is a testament to the importance of health care in our community and how much Henderson Health Care Services is valued by the residents. Seeing this support for the health care system made it obvious that future project that enhance health care in Henderson, such as a community center, will be supported.
7) Please describe what aspects (if any) of the project were especially unique or creative?
It is very unique for a town with less than 1,000 people to have such a large health care facility and support it enough to create a need for a new addition. There are very few communities in Nebraska that have less than 1,000 people and have a hospital or clinic. Many communities similar in size have a care center or retirement living facility, but not the full health care system. Henderson Health Care Services is such an asset to the community because it covers the full continuum of medical care, which many small communities cannot offer.
This project was also unique in the way it supports economic development within the community. Through the REDLG Grant that Mainstay Communications received to loan to Henderson Health Care Services for this project, 1% of the interest paid on the loan goes directly into the community through the Henderson Chamber of Commerce. By supporting the local Chamber of Commerce in this way, this project enhances and supports the community in multiple ways through the work of the Chamber. In addition, Mainstay Communications can make additional loans to other non-profit organizations once payments on the initial loan have been collected. This supports economic development in two ways. First it is putting more money back into the chamber through the 1% interest on the addition loans. Secondly, the low interest loan is a good recourse for many community projects that need a loan, but aren’t able to pay interest rates at local banks. By using the REDLG program to build financial support for this project, the community benefitted on multiple levels.
HHCS Health Beat Newsletter
York News-Times Article
Name of Community: Henderson Population: 986
Name of Project: Hospital Expansion Project at Henderson Health Care Services, Inc.
Name of Contact Person: Kelsey Bergen
Day Phone: (402) 723-4228 Eve Phone: (402) 723-5478 Email: hchamber@mainstaycomm.net
Category: Community Development
Subcategory: Technology, Infrastructure, and Planning
Date Project Started (mo./yr.) 03/2009 Dated Completed: 02/2010
Is the Project Annual/Ongoing: Ongoing
Volunteer Hours: 100 Number of Volunteers: 12
1)Brief Description of the Project
Henderson Health Care Services, Inc. offers nationally accredited health care through state-of-the-art equipment and ongoing professional training. This acute-care and long term care facility employs approximately 95 highly trained people, with three employed active staff for the clinics and hospital and 40 consulting physicians in their respective specialties; including the fields of family practice, OB-GYN, general surgery, radiology, internal medicine, orthopaedics, and urology. Three areas of care, which are administered through six facilities, makeup Henderson Health Care Services. These areas include the hospital, Henderson Community Hospital; medical clinics, Henderson Family Care and Sutton Family Practice; and resident care facilities, Prairie Garden Estates, Rosewood Court Assisted Living and the Henderson Care Center.
Henderson Community Hospital has served the areas for 35 years in this facility, and renovations were necessary to stay progressive in the health care industry. The hospital expansion project enhanced many areas of medical care by adding 3 new patient rooms, a labor and delivery suite, emergency room, additional waiting room, second nurses’ station, office for the Director of Nurses and additional storage. In addition it allows the hospital to accommodate a larger number of patients and provide a safer, more pleasant environment for patients and staff. Included in the hospital addition were three private patient rooms with their own shower. Previously all patient rooms were semi-private and the only shower was located in the hallway. With the addition of these rooms, patients will have a better experience when admitted to the hospital for a short or long-term stay. The new Labor and Delivery Suite created extra space which allowed families to comfortably stay in the same room with the mother and newborn. An in-room bathroom with shower and whirlpool tub was also an improvement from the old labor room, which had neither. The emergency room layout was completely changed to include an entrance that allows a direct route from the back of the ambulance into the emergency room. The emergency room also has two beds to provide care to multiple patients at the same time, compared to the old emergency room, which only had one bed. The total project encompasses a total of 1,472 square feet of construction.
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| Proposed layout for the hospital addition. |
2) Identify the planning and implementation of the project
a) Describe the methods used to plan and implement the project
Planning for this project was organized through the Henderson Health Care Service Administration and Board of Directors. After some research, it was apparent that patients of the facility were interested in a health care facility that had private rooms and a better labor and delivery room. While it would not be possible to complete this project with volunteers due to the regulations that need to be met for a health care facility, it was obvious that volunteers would need to be found to raise the financial support for this large project. As a result the Henderson Health Care Foundation was contacted to find donors to cover $500,000 of the cost of the project. The Henderson Health Care Foundation is a group of volunteers who meet bi-monthly to work on fundraising options for the Henderson Health Care Services. For added financial support, Henderson Health Care Services worked with Mainstay Communications and the Henderson Chamber of Commerce to apply for a grant through the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Programs (REDLG). For this grant, Mainstay Communications was able to receive $300,000, which was loaned to Henderson Health Care Services at a 1 % interest rate. As the loan was paid back, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce received the 1% interest to use for economic development in return for writing the grant application and administrating the requirements of the grant. Once construction began on the hospital expansion project, the Henderson Health Care Services Administration and Board of Directors oversaw the construction end of the project, while the Henderson Health Care Foundation organized further donations.
b) Describe how the project relates to the community’s overall goals
Some of the goals for the hospital expansion project directly related to the community’s overall goals in the areas of quality of life and bringing new young families to Henderson. Henderson is located in York County, which has an aging population with increasing needs for healthcare locally. The county’s population is older than the population in the state of Nebraska with the elderly (aged 65+) representing 17.4% of York County compared to 13.6% of the state of Nebraska based on the 2000 census. The Henderson Community Hospital addition increases utilization of the hospital, ensuring that the community health care system remains viable. This contributes to creating jobs and generating income in the county by capturing existing income through encouraging residents to purchase more goods and services locally. As a whole, these items improve the local economy and enhance the well-being of the residents of Henderson. In this way, the new expansion at the hospital is increasing quality of life in Henderson by making more health care services available on a local level. This project also encouraged growth in local hospital visits for labor and delivery and regular patient care at Henderson Community Hospital. When a new family is looking for a new home, they want to be able to raise their family within the community. Having an up-to-date health care facility in town is part of that process. By offering prenatal care, labor and delivery care, immunizations, physicals, clinic services, specialty services, surgeries, general medical care and resident care the community of Henderson can appeal to potential residents at any stage of life. By offering all of the services available through Henderson Health Care Services and the newly expanded hospital, Henderson is able to offer a service to potential residents that isn’t available in many communities with a population under 1,000 people. This is a huge asset for the community to promote in resident recruitment efforts.
c) Describe how the project was identified as a priority for the community
Moving forward with the hospital expansion project was identified as a priority for the community because it enhanced the services that the Henderson Health Care Services staff was able to offer and it served a growing need in the community. With the addition of Dr. James Ohrt to the Henderson Health Care Services staff in 2006, the facility was able to offer caesarian sections in the labor and delivery department. This was a major step forward because for a number of years earlier the facility was not able to provide any labor and delivery services. As the labor and delivery program grew with Dr. Vanderneck, who delivered babies, and Dr. Ohrt, who performed caesarian sections, it was clear that the number of patients using the labor and delivery department was also growing. In order to continue to grow this patient base to better serve the community, Henderson Health Care Services decided to move forward with the hospital expansion project, which included a labor and delivery suite. Previously, the labor and delivery room did not have easy access for patients. There was not a bathroom in the labor and delivery room, so expecting mothers had to go to a different part of the hospital to use the restroom. The room was also not setup for extended stay of the mother and baby, meaning they would have to move to a different room within a few hours after delivery. By creating a new labor and delivery suite within the hospital expansion project, Henderson Health Care Services was able to serve a need that was identified as a priority for the community.
In addition to encouraging growth in local hospital visits for labor and delivery, this project was also a community identified priority due to the economic impact it would have on the community, which was twofold. With the increase in number of deliveries that would be happening at Henderson Health Care, the number of clinic patients and follow up visits would also increase, which would create more work for the current employees. It was estimated that two new full-time jobs would be added in the future to Henderson Health Care Services as a result of this project. The increase in patients using the hospital will ultimately increase the number of patients admitted to Henderson Community Hospital. The new jobs created by the hospital expansion project could potentially increase the hospital payroll by a total of $65,00. The additional wages circulating in the community will in effect provide economic benefits to the local business, stimulating the local economy.
3) Describe volunteer involvement in planning and implementing the project.
a) Describe how responsibilities were delegated among volunteers
The main responsibility for this project that was delegated among volunteers was the raising of funds to financially support the project. Since the Henderson Health Care Foundation is a group of volunteers working to raise money for improvements and equipment for Henderson Health Care Services, it was natural that the responsibility of raising funds for the project was delegated to them by the Henderson Health Care Services Board of Directors. Over a year before construction of the project was scheduled to start, the Henderson Health Care Foundation began raising funds and finding people who would volunteer to provide monetary support. Since the hospital expansion project had to meet specific health care building requirements by the state, it was not possible to have volunteers perform physical labor for the project, which is why no volunteers were delegated in this area.
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| Henderson Health Care Services Board of Directors, doctors and local first graders participating in the groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital expansion project. |
b) Describe how volunteers were recruited for the project
The Henderson Health Care Foundation found many ways to recruit donors for the project. They held a Spring Fling Banquet fundraiser, where community members purchased meal tickets. During the banquet, there were raffle drawings and 50+ items were auctioned off to the highest bidder. All of the money raised by this event went toward the hospital expansion project. The foundation also contacted people who had previously donated to Henderson Health Care Services and invited them to a fundraising dinner. During the dinner they were offered several facility incentives based on their donation to the project. During the annual community days event, the Henderson Health Care Administration and Foundation worked together to organize a freewill donation hamburger fry to raise more money for the project as well.
4) Identify Project Outcomes.
a) What did the community intend to change as a result of the project?
Through this project the community wanted to see a change in the number of residents who used Henderson Health Care Services for all of their health care needs. In the time that Henderson Health Care Services was not able to offer all the health care services that a person or family would need, several community members chose to go to health care facilities in different towns. Once you go to a different community, it is difficult to transition back to another facility unless they change into a facility that can serve all of a patient’s needs. By offering all of these services, Henderson Health Care Services is now a facility that patients can use for their full spectrum of care. The community also wanted to stimulate the economy of Henderson by bringing people from the surrounding towns to our facility for their healthcare needs. Since several of the neighboring healthcare facilities are larger complexes, patients often experience long wait times and a lack of service. When this happens, they begin looking for a new healthcare facility. By adding the new and improved services available with the new hospital expansion, many residents from surrounding communities will consider Henderson Health Care as a place to go for their medical needs if they need to change facilities. Through this project, the community of Henderson also wanted to change the quality of life offered to the community members. While there was already a good quality of life offered, this project enhanced it by creating a facility where the aesthetic qualities matched the quality of service offered by Henderson Health Care employees and physicians.
b) Describe community wide support of the project.
Community support for this project was overwhelming from the monetary standpoint. Monetary Support for the project was shown from a wide range of people in the community, outside of the community as well as businesses owned within the community. To date there have been over 100 donors for this project with new donors still coming forward to help with additional costs covered by Henderson Health Care Services as they begin to remodel the old section of the hospital to match the new addition. Financial support for this project had an even greater significance considering the state of the economy during this project. In many places projects such as this would have been cut especially since there were so many other projects happening at the time in the community, but instead the community of Henderson came together to make sure the project was completed.
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| The 2009 Spring Fling Fundraising meal. |
c) Describe how the final project impacted the community, including measurable data (Measurable data includes both qualitative and quantitative information).
As a result of this project, the city of Henderson and Henderson Health Care Services has seen an increase in the number of babies born in the facility with parents outside of the community. From January 2010 to August 2010 the number of babies born at Henderson Health Care Services with parents living in different towns was 62% compared to 46% during the same time last year. There have also been fewer residents of Henderson traveling out-of-town to deliver their babies, which has increased local support of the facility through this project. The community of Henderson as a whole has also seen an increase in the number of young families moving back to the community in the past six months. While there is no way to prove that their decision to move back was influenced by the completion of this project, it is obvious that the hospital expansion project enhances the community and what we have to offer, making the community more appealing to potential residents.
5) Describe how resources were identified and used to successfully implement the project.
a) Monetary (grants, fund-raising, bonds, etc.)
Monetary support for this project was generated in three ways through Henderson Health Care Services, a low interest loan through Mainstay Communication as part of REDLG, and donations made through the Henderson Health Care Foundation.
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| A fundraising thermometer was place near the construction site to show how many donations were still needed. |
b) Material and supplies (purchases and donated)
All materials and supplies for this project were purchased by Henderson Health Care Services, Inc.
c) Labor (volunteer, in-kind, and paid services)
All labor was paid services.
6)Future Plans
a) How will the community build upon or follow-up with this project in the future?
The community will build upon and follow-up with this project through Henderson Health Care Services. Henderson Health Care Services has already started building on this project by renovating the older part of the hospital to coordinate with the new addition. This renovation includes moving services around to better serve the local community. For example the old emergency room was renovated into a relaxing mammography room and the old nurses’ lounge was reformatted into an ultrasound room. Previously the ultrasound room was the same as the delivery room, which would create a problem when deliveries were taking place on ultrasound days. Henderson Health Care Services has also built upon the new hospital addition by expanded the number of specialty clinics visiting the facility each month. In January, Henderson Health Care Services began teaming up with Lincoln Orthopaedic to offer an orthopaedic clinic twice a month in Henderson. This service has already been greatly used and appreciated in this short time. Henderson Health Care Services and the general community also plan to work together to follow-up this project in the future. In order to build upon the growing need for health care and physical fitness, Henderson Health Care Services will be teaming up with the City of Henderson to begin work on plans for a Community Center in the future. Since the community does not have a community center currently, this would be a huge asset for many areas of the community. While this project is in the early planning stage, no time line has been set, but it will be a great community centered follow-up project to further the health care available in our community.
b) What has the community learned from this project that can be applied to future development efforts?
Even though a large group of volunteers were not needed to do manual labor for this project, the community learned that residents were very willing to support the project financially despite the difficult economy. This is a testament to the importance of health care in our community and how much Henderson Health Care Services is valued by the residents. Seeing this support for the health care system made it obvious that future project that enhance health care in Henderson, such as a community center, will be supported.
7) Please describe what aspects (if any) of the project were especially unique or creative?
It is very unique for a town with less than 1,000 people to have such a large health care facility and support it enough to create a need for a new addition. There are very few communities in Nebraska that have less than 1,000 people and have a hospital or clinic. Many communities similar in size have a care center or retirement living facility, but not the full health care system. Henderson Health Care Services is such an asset to the community because it covers the full continuum of medical care, which many small communities cannot offer.
This project was also unique in the way it supports economic development within the community. Through the REDLG Grant that Mainstay Communications received to loan to Henderson Health Care Services for this project, 1% of the interest paid on the loan goes directly into the community through the Henderson Chamber of Commerce. By supporting the local Chamber of Commerce in this way, this project enhances and supports the community in multiple ways through the work of the Chamber. In addition, Mainstay Communications can make additional loans to other non-profit organizations once payments on the initial loan have been collected. This supports economic development in two ways. First it is putting more money back into the chamber through the 1% interest on the addition loans. Secondly, the low interest loan is a good recourse for many community projects that need a loan, but aren’t able to pay interest rates at local banks. By using the REDLG program to build financial support for this project, the community benefitted on multiple levels.
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| New labor and delivery suite. |
York News-Times Article
Special Project - Henderson Sports Complex
Special Project Award Nomination Information
Name of Community: Henderson Population: 986
Name of Project: Henderson Sports Complex
Name of Contact Person: Kelsey Bergen
Day Phone: (402) 723-4228 Eve Phone: (402) 723-5478 Email: hchamber@mainstaycomm.net
Category: Community Development
Subcategory: Parks, recreation, and Environmental Awareness
Date Project Started (mo./yr.) 08/2008 Dated Completed: 06/2010
Is the Project Annual/Ongoing: Ongoing
Volunteer Hours: 3,000 Number of Volunteers: 20
1) Brief Description of the Project
Each summer a wide age range of area youth participate in the Summer Baseball and Softball programs. From five year olds to 18-year-olds this program serves a large group of people. Until 2010 the softball games were played at the cities field on the west side of town and the baseball games were played at the school’s field on the north end of town. Both facilities had infields that were not level making it hard for water to drain, meaning games would need to be cancelled after it rained. The softball field had drainage issues of its own making water back up into neighboring yards after large storms. The baseball field did not have bathroom facilities and portable restrooms were brought in for that season. With the location of both fields across town from each other, two separate concession stands also needed to be utilized spreading out volunteers and supplies.
Due to these issues, the recreation department dreamed about creating a facility on the west end of town, by the existing softball field, so the baseball and softball fields could be in one central location with a common bathroom facility and concession stand. In 2003, land was purchased to the south of the softball field with the intent of building a second field and in August of 2008 work began to make their dream become a reality. The plan for the project was to turn the softball field 1/4 turn to the south and build the baseball field next to it, so the infields would be next to each other. According to this plan, space was also designated for the possibility of a soccer field in the future. Outside of the land leveling and electrical work, the rest of the complex was built with volunteer labor and materials sold by local vendors at discounted prices. The recreation department, along with key volunteers and donations from area residents, were able to complete this project in less than two years.
The first game played at the new sports complex took place on April 10, 2010 before the project was complete. In June the final lights were installed and both fields became fully operational just as the summer sports season took off. The final project included two new fields, scoreboards, field lighting, dugouts, drainage, announcers stand, and concession stand. During the 2010 baseball/softball season over 80 games were played on the two fields with three local softball teams, four local baseball teams, four local Teeball teams and an area select baseball team. During the course of the season teams from Hampton, Doniphan, Giltner, Phillips, Marquette, Trumbull, Goehner, Aurora, Hastings, Columbus, Lincoln, and Grand Island played on the new fields.
2) Identify the planning and implementation of the project
a) Describe the methods used to plan and implement the project
The city of Henderson and the recreation department recognized three shortcomings of the previous fields. First, the ballfields were not of regulation size limiting the activities that the fields could be utilized for. Secondly, one field was owned by the school and the other was owned by the city creating major maintenance issues as far as who paid for what repairs. Finally, there was major concern for the lack of drainage on both infields making fields unusable after a half inch of rain, which would postpone several games for two or three days at a time. These concerns caused the Recreation Department to take on the challenge of constructing two new ball fields on the city owned property where the softball field was located. In 2003 the city of Henderson acquired eight additional acres of land adjacent to the softball field. The additional eight acres of land was acquired to store excess soil excavated from the nearby lake renovation project. With the additional city owned property, it was possible for the recreation department to create a plan for the new softball complex which consists of two new ballfields with a sprinkler system and the correct infield material, a new concession/scorekeeper building and an area for a future soccer field. The recreation department organized the implementation of the project by contacting different contractors, volunteers and ordering supplies.
b) Describe how the project relates to the community’s overall goals
During the strategic planning process, participants were asked about the quality of life in Henderson. Overall, respondents felt Henderson provides a good quality of life with amenities such as community events and recreational opportunities. Since one of the ongoing community goals is to increase quality of life and recreation was listed as a way to accomplish that goal, the sports complex was a great fit with the community’s overall goals. In the “community needs” section of the strategic plan, it states, “Several emerging themes came up through the four data collection efforts. The three that came up the most often include housing, a community center and people attraction efforts.” The recreation department and general community see the Henderson Sports Complex as a way to attract people due to the increase in the community’s quality of life.
c) Describe how the project was identified as a priority for the community
Constructing the new ball fields became a priority for the community due to the shortcomings of the previous ball fields. Prior to the sports complex, the city of Henderson had two separate ball fields that were not of regulation size limiting the activities that the fields could be utilized for. One field was city-owned and the other was on school property across town. The school owned field caused confusion on major maintenance issues as far as who paid for what repairs. The infields of both fields were a major concern as the drainage and soil make-up were not of desirable material, so when it would rain a half an inch or more the fields would be unusable for two to three days. Since the summer baseball/softball programs involves 100+ participants these challenges affected a large number of families in the community.
3) Describe volunteer involvement in planning and implementing the project.
a) Describe how responsibilities were delegated among volunteers.
Since the recreation department was in charge of implementing the project, they contacted volunteers based on their skill level and interest and delegated responsibilities accordingly. For example, one volunteer had previously owned Northern Underground Sprinklers, so he was contacted to help install the underground sprinklers. Since he is no longer able to install the sprinklers himself, he volunteered his time teaching the recreation department and other volunteers about how to properly assemble the sprinkler systems. As a result, the installation of the sprinkler system was completed solely by volunteers, which significantly lowered the cost of the entire project. When a business was contracted to install other aspects of the facility, the recreation department also asked if the business would be willing to donate a portion of their labor for the cause. Almost all of the contractors were willing to volunteer at least part of their labor to the project.
b) Describe how volunteers were recruited for the project.
Volunteers were recruited to help with the project by the recreation department mainly by phone and personally. Almost all of the contractors were also willing to volunteer at least part of their labor to the project. When longer work days were planned, for pouring concrete or other similar projects, the recreation department put articles in the paper asking for interested people of the community to volunteer on that particular day. Heartland Community Schools was also contacted by the recreation department to see if any students were interested in volunteering at the ball fields. On two occasions the junior high classes volunteered at the ball fields.
4) Identify Project Outcomes.
a) What did the community intend to change as a result of the project?
There were three areas that the community intended to change as a result of this project. First they wanted to create more recreational activities for residents. With the completion of the sports complex, it will be possible to hold tournaments and an adult summer league, which would have been inconvenient in the past. Secondly, the new sports complex was intended to create entertainment for residents and a reason for people to visit Henderson from out-of-town. With games happening nearly every evening in June, local resident can always go watch a game or two and many visitors are brought to town for tournaments. The sports complex has already drawn visitors from over 60 miles away. The final intent for the sports complex was to create a centrally located facility that was easier to maintain by the city of Henderson. By having both fields owned by the city there is no confusion with maintenance and city personnel save time by not traveling to fields located across town.
b) Describe community wide support of the project
Community support for this project has come from a wide range of people because many people are affected by the project from the youth participating in activities at the sports complex, to parents and grandparents watching their children and grandchildren during baseball and softball games. In addition to the softball/baseball program residents also have shown support by participating in the Home Run Derby held at the sports complex during Community Days. Others have shown their support by volunteering to work during the construction phase of the project. Many residents also showed monetary support by making a donation to the project, participating in the annual baseball slider fund raiser taking place during Community Days each year, or buying concessions at the sports complex during the sports season.
c) Describe how the final project impacted the community, including measurable data (Measurable data includes both qualitative and quantitative information).
It is obvious that the completion of the Sports Complex has had a positive impact on the community in several ways. We see this impact in the number of games held at the sports complex this summer. During the 2010 season there were 75+ games held at the Henderson Sports Complex which is approximately 33% increase compared to previous seasons. In 2010 approximately 39% of the population of Henderson participated in the softball/baseball program as a player, coach or spectator. In addition, 2010 marked the first year for a select traveling baseball team based in Henderson. Qualitatively, the Henderson Sports Complex has impacted the community by the ability to easily host future tournaments for local and area baseball teams. During 2010 the Henderson Sports Complex was rented twice by out-of-town teams, this not only puts Henderson on the map for visitors from Hastings, Grand Island, Columbus and Lincoln, but it also brings them into town, so they can see other amenities that Henderson has to offer and increase the chance of a return trip to our community.
5) Describe how resources were identified and used to successfully implement the project.
a) Monetary (grants, fund-raising, bonds, etc.)
The Recreation Department used four monetary resources to implement this project. The city of Henderson made several contributions to the project as they are the only entity that will directly benefit from the Henderson Sports Complex, since the recreation department is under the direction of the mayor and city council. The Recreation Department also received funding for this project through the REDLG Revolving Loan Fund at Mainstay Communications. This type of loan is available for community projects with a low 1% interest rate. Donations were made by residents, business and area corporations throughout the course of the project as the recreation department solicited donations by phone and a mass community mailing. Finally the Recreation Department received funding for this project through a Nebraska Game and Parks Grant.
b) Material and supplies (purchases and donated)
Material for this project was split up into three categories: material at cost, material at full price, and donated material. Materials purchased at cost included: sprinkler material, concession stand framing material, plumbing material, and base anchor material. Material purchased at full price included: drainage inlet pipe, concrete material for sidewalks, concession building, dugouts, fences, backstops, lights and installation, concession electrical material, infield conditioner, and scoreboards. Donated material included: dugout beams, galvanizing of beams, and dugout roof panels.
c) Labor (volunteer, in-kind, and paid services)
Labor for this project consisted of volunteer labor, in-kind labor and paid labor. Volunteer labor included: removal of the existing field, final grading of fields/ditches, half of the fence installation, seeding, installation of the sprinklers, pouring of concrete for concession building/dugouts/sidewalks, layout of field dimensions, installation of base anchors, plumbing to sprinklers and concession building, installation of dugout beams and roof panels, painting, installation of the scoreboards, and making base anchors. In-kind labor included: the use of Cushman equipment to spread infield conditioner, use of small tractor/blade/box scraper for grading, use of grass seeder, and use of trencher for the sprinkler installation. Paid labor for this project included: surveying/staking of both fields, grading of the fields, installation of concession electrical wiring and installation of field lights.
6)Future Plans
a) How will the community build upon or follow-up with this project in the future?
The recreation department will be the driving force in building upon the baseball/softball program into the future. Their immediate plans include organizing an adult evening league each summer after the softball/baseball season is over. This will promote physical activities and adult socialization in the community, which will improve the quality of life in Henderson. They also plan to host several tournaments each summer for different age groups. This will benefit the community by bringing visitors to town, which should have an economic impact based on the money they spend while in town. This will also encourage repeat visits to Henderson by nonresidents within a 60 mile radius.
b) What has the community learned from this project that can be applied to future development efforts?
The completion of the Henderson Sports Complex has taught the community that large projects can be accomplished by a small dedicated group of people. This makes it possible to take on large projects in the future. It has also taught the community to invest in projects that benefit the community in multiple ways by bring new people to the community and engaging residents who already living in the community.
7) Please describe what aspects (if any) of the project were especially unique or creative?
This project was unique due to the size of our community. Not many communities with less than 1,000 people can create a sports complex that impresses visitors from Grand Island, Columbus, Hastings and Lincoln. Usually people from towns the size of Henderson travel 60+ plus miles to participate in activities in comparable facilities. This project reversed the norm bringing people from larger cities, 60 miles away, to a smaller community and impressing them with the facility a community our size has to offer. The central location of the Henderson Sports Complex is also unique due to its location between Grand Island and Lincoln. This allows for teams to travel half the distance to play each other at a neutral field.
Name of Community: Henderson Population: 986
Name of Project: Henderson Sports Complex
Name of Contact Person: Kelsey Bergen
Day Phone: (402) 723-4228 Eve Phone: (402) 723-5478 Email: hchamber@mainstaycomm.net
Category: Community Development
Subcategory: Parks, recreation, and Environmental Awareness
Date Project Started (mo./yr.) 08/2008 Dated Completed: 06/2010
Is the Project Annual/Ongoing: Ongoing
Volunteer Hours: 3,000 Number of Volunteers: 20
1) Brief Description of the Project
Each summer a wide age range of area youth participate in the Summer Baseball and Softball programs. From five year olds to 18-year-olds this program serves a large group of people. Until 2010 the softball games were played at the cities field on the west side of town and the baseball games were played at the school’s field on the north end of town. Both facilities had infields that were not level making it hard for water to drain, meaning games would need to be cancelled after it rained. The softball field had drainage issues of its own making water back up into neighboring yards after large storms. The baseball field did not have bathroom facilities and portable restrooms were brought in for that season. With the location of both fields across town from each other, two separate concession stands also needed to be utilized spreading out volunteers and supplies.
Due to these issues, the recreation department dreamed about creating a facility on the west end of town, by the existing softball field, so the baseball and softball fields could be in one central location with a common bathroom facility and concession stand. In 2003, land was purchased to the south of the softball field with the intent of building a second field and in August of 2008 work began to make their dream become a reality. The plan for the project was to turn the softball field 1/4 turn to the south and build the baseball field next to it, so the infields would be next to each other. According to this plan, space was also designated for the possibility of a soccer field in the future. Outside of the land leveling and electrical work, the rest of the complex was built with volunteer labor and materials sold by local vendors at discounted prices. The recreation department, along with key volunteers and donations from area residents, were able to complete this project in less than two years.
The first game played at the new sports complex took place on April 10, 2010 before the project was complete. In June the final lights were installed and both fields became fully operational just as the summer sports season took off. The final project included two new fields, scoreboards, field lighting, dugouts, drainage, announcers stand, and concession stand. During the 2010 baseball/softball season over 80 games were played on the two fields with three local softball teams, four local baseball teams, four local Teeball teams and an area select baseball team. During the course of the season teams from Hampton, Doniphan, Giltner, Phillips, Marquette, Trumbull, Goehner, Aurora, Hastings, Columbus, Lincoln, and Grand Island played on the new fields.
2) Identify the planning and implementation of the project
a) Describe the methods used to plan and implement the project
The city of Henderson and the recreation department recognized three shortcomings of the previous fields. First, the ballfields were not of regulation size limiting the activities that the fields could be utilized for. Secondly, one field was owned by the school and the other was owned by the city creating major maintenance issues as far as who paid for what repairs. Finally, there was major concern for the lack of drainage on both infields making fields unusable after a half inch of rain, which would postpone several games for two or three days at a time. These concerns caused the Recreation Department to take on the challenge of constructing two new ball fields on the city owned property where the softball field was located. In 2003 the city of Henderson acquired eight additional acres of land adjacent to the softball field. The additional eight acres of land was acquired to store excess soil excavated from the nearby lake renovation project. With the additional city owned property, it was possible for the recreation department to create a plan for the new softball complex which consists of two new ballfields with a sprinkler system and the correct infield material, a new concession/scorekeeper building and an area for a future soccer field. The recreation department organized the implementation of the project by contacting different contractors, volunteers and ordering supplies.
b) Describe how the project relates to the community’s overall goals
During the strategic planning process, participants were asked about the quality of life in Henderson. Overall, respondents felt Henderson provides a good quality of life with amenities such as community events and recreational opportunities. Since one of the ongoing community goals is to increase quality of life and recreation was listed as a way to accomplish that goal, the sports complex was a great fit with the community’s overall goals. In the “community needs” section of the strategic plan, it states, “Several emerging themes came up through the four data collection efforts. The three that came up the most often include housing, a community center and people attraction efforts.” The recreation department and general community see the Henderson Sports Complex as a way to attract people due to the increase in the community’s quality of life.
c) Describe how the project was identified as a priority for the community
Constructing the new ball fields became a priority for the community due to the shortcomings of the previous ball fields. Prior to the sports complex, the city of Henderson had two separate ball fields that were not of regulation size limiting the activities that the fields could be utilized for. One field was city-owned and the other was on school property across town. The school owned field caused confusion on major maintenance issues as far as who paid for what repairs. The infields of both fields were a major concern as the drainage and soil make-up were not of desirable material, so when it would rain a half an inch or more the fields would be unusable for two to three days. Since the summer baseball/softball programs involves 100+ participants these challenges affected a large number of families in the community.
The south ball field during the construction phase.
3) Describe volunteer involvement in planning and implementing the project.
a) Describe how responsibilities were delegated among volunteers.
Since the recreation department was in charge of implementing the project, they contacted volunteers based on their skill level and interest and delegated responsibilities accordingly. For example, one volunteer had previously owned Northern Underground Sprinklers, so he was contacted to help install the underground sprinklers. Since he is no longer able to install the sprinklers himself, he volunteered his time teaching the recreation department and other volunteers about how to properly assemble the sprinkler systems. As a result, the installation of the sprinkler system was completed solely by volunteers, which significantly lowered the cost of the entire project. When a business was contracted to install other aspects of the facility, the recreation department also asked if the business would be willing to donate a portion of their labor for the cause. Almost all of the contractors were willing to volunteer at least part of their labor to the project.
b) Describe how volunteers were recruited for the project.
Volunteers were recruited to help with the project by the recreation department mainly by phone and personally. Almost all of the contractors were also willing to volunteer at least part of their labor to the project. When longer work days were planned, for pouring concrete or other similar projects, the recreation department put articles in the paper asking for interested people of the community to volunteer on that particular day. Heartland Community Schools was also contacted by the recreation department to see if any students were interested in volunteering at the ball fields. On two occasions the junior high classes volunteered at the ball fields.
4) Identify Project Outcomes.
a) What did the community intend to change as a result of the project?
There were three areas that the community intended to change as a result of this project. First they wanted to create more recreational activities for residents. With the completion of the sports complex, it will be possible to hold tournaments and an adult summer league, which would have been inconvenient in the past. Secondly, the new sports complex was intended to create entertainment for residents and a reason for people to visit Henderson from out-of-town. With games happening nearly every evening in June, local resident can always go watch a game or two and many visitors are brought to town for tournaments. The sports complex has already drawn visitors from over 60 miles away. The final intent for the sports complex was to create a centrally located facility that was easier to maintain by the city of Henderson. By having both fields owned by the city there is no confusion with maintenance and city personnel save time by not traveling to fields located across town.
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| Both ball fields and concession stand during the construction phase. |
b) Describe community wide support of the project
Community support for this project has come from a wide range of people because many people are affected by the project from the youth participating in activities at the sports complex, to parents and grandparents watching their children and grandchildren during baseball and softball games. In addition to the softball/baseball program residents also have shown support by participating in the Home Run Derby held at the sports complex during Community Days. Others have shown their support by volunteering to work during the construction phase of the project. Many residents also showed monetary support by making a donation to the project, participating in the annual baseball slider fund raiser taking place during Community Days each year, or buying concessions at the sports complex during the sports season.
c) Describe how the final project impacted the community, including measurable data (Measurable data includes both qualitative and quantitative information).
It is obvious that the completion of the Sports Complex has had a positive impact on the community in several ways. We see this impact in the number of games held at the sports complex this summer. During the 2010 season there were 75+ games held at the Henderson Sports Complex which is approximately 33% increase compared to previous seasons. In 2010 approximately 39% of the population of Henderson participated in the softball/baseball program as a player, coach or spectator. In addition, 2010 marked the first year for a select traveling baseball team based in Henderson. Qualitatively, the Henderson Sports Complex has impacted the community by the ability to easily host future tournaments for local and area baseball teams. During 2010 the Henderson Sports Complex was rented twice by out-of-town teams, this not only puts Henderson on the map for visitors from Hastings, Grand Island, Columbus and Lincoln, but it also brings them into town, so they can see other amenities that Henderson has to offer and increase the chance of a return trip to our community.
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| The Home Run Derby during Henderson Community Days. |
5) Describe how resources were identified and used to successfully implement the project.
a) Monetary (grants, fund-raising, bonds, etc.)
The Recreation Department used four monetary resources to implement this project. The city of Henderson made several contributions to the project as they are the only entity that will directly benefit from the Henderson Sports Complex, since the recreation department is under the direction of the mayor and city council. The Recreation Department also received funding for this project through the REDLG Revolving Loan Fund at Mainstay Communications. This type of loan is available for community projects with a low 1% interest rate. Donations were made by residents, business and area corporations throughout the course of the project as the recreation department solicited donations by phone and a mass community mailing. Finally the Recreation Department received funding for this project through a Nebraska Game and Parks Grant.
b) Material and supplies (purchases and donated)
Material for this project was split up into three categories: material at cost, material at full price, and donated material. Materials purchased at cost included: sprinkler material, concession stand framing material, plumbing material, and base anchor material. Material purchased at full price included: drainage inlet pipe, concrete material for sidewalks, concession building, dugouts, fences, backstops, lights and installation, concession electrical material, infield conditioner, and scoreboards. Donated material included: dugout beams, galvanizing of beams, and dugout roof panels.
c) Labor (volunteer, in-kind, and paid services)
Labor for this project consisted of volunteer labor, in-kind labor and paid labor. Volunteer labor included: removal of the existing field, final grading of fields/ditches, half of the fence installation, seeding, installation of the sprinklers, pouring of concrete for concession building/dugouts/sidewalks, layout of field dimensions, installation of base anchors, plumbing to sprinklers and concession building, installation of dugout beams and roof panels, painting, installation of the scoreboards, and making base anchors. In-kind labor included: the use of Cushman equipment to spread infield conditioner, use of small tractor/blade/box scraper for grading, use of grass seeder, and use of trencher for the sprinkler installation. Paid labor for this project included: surveying/staking of both fields, grading of the fields, installation of concession electrical wiring and installation of field lights.
6)Future Plans
a) How will the community build upon or follow-up with this project in the future?
The recreation department will be the driving force in building upon the baseball/softball program into the future. Their immediate plans include organizing an adult evening league each summer after the softball/baseball season is over. This will promote physical activities and adult socialization in the community, which will improve the quality of life in Henderson. They also plan to host several tournaments each summer for different age groups. This will benefit the community by bringing visitors to town, which should have an economic impact based on the money they spend while in town. This will also encourage repeat visits to Henderson by nonresidents within a 60 mile radius.
b) What has the community learned from this project that can be applied to future development efforts?
The completion of the Henderson Sports Complex has taught the community that large projects can be accomplished by a small dedicated group of people. This makes it possible to take on large projects in the future. It has also taught the community to invest in projects that benefit the community in multiple ways by bring new people to the community and engaging residents who already living in the community.
7) Please describe what aspects (if any) of the project were especially unique or creative?
This project was unique due to the size of our community. Not many communities with less than 1,000 people can create a sports complex that impresses visitors from Grand Island, Columbus, Hastings and Lincoln. Usually people from towns the size of Henderson travel 60+ plus miles to participate in activities in comparable facilities. This project reversed the norm bringing people from larger cities, 60 miles away, to a smaller community and impressing them with the facility a community our size has to offer. The central location of the Henderson Sports Complex is also unique due to its location between Grand Island and Lincoln. This allows for teams to travel half the distance to play each other at a neutral field.
Special Project - Heartland Track and Football Field Project
Special Project Award Nomination Information
Name of Community: Henderson Population: 986
Name of Project: Heartland Community Schools Track and Football Field Project
Name of Contact Person: Kelsey Bergen
Day Phone: (402) 723-4228 Eve Phone: (402) 723-5478 Email: hchamber@mainstaycomm.net
Category: Community Development
Subcategory: Parks, Recreation, and Environmental Awareness
Date Project Started (mo./yr.) 05/2009 Dated Completed: 09/2009
Is the Project Annual/Ongoing: Ongoing
Volunteer Hours: 500 Number of Volunteers: 50
1) Brief Description of the Project
The Heartland Community Schools’ Track was deteriorating to the point that the track needed to be resurfaced or completely reinstalled. The track had already been resurfaced a number of times, since it was originally installed, but the same problems kept surfacing due to a lack of a solid foundation beneath the track, so resurfacing the track would likely lead to the same problems down the road. While the obvious solution was to reinstall the track to prevent the same problems in the future, this type of project came with a large price tag that the school district was not able to afford. Several individuals in the community felt so strongly about the need for a new track that they wanted to help raise the funds need to install a new track. The Heartland Board of Education had calculated that the project would cost $400,000, which they would not be able to fund on their own. With the help of a large number of volunteers and monetary donations, the track was reinstalled with a better soil base and several other projects involving the football field were tackled. While construction was happening on the trackit made sense to crown the football field (since it didn’t drain water very well) and install an underground sprinkler system on the football field to help maintain the turf. Before school dismissed for the summer, work began on the track/football field in hopes that it would be ready in time for the fall football season a few months away. Due to the hard work of many volunteers from the community of Henderson and the surrounding area, the project was finished in time for the first home football game.
While this project primarily impacted the Heartland Community School students participating in the football and track, the new track/football field also serves the greater Henderson Community. During the fall, many community members attend home football games at this field to support the youth of our community. In this way the field serves as a source of entertainment and socialization for the community when they come together to support the local football team. During track season, Heartland Community Schools hosts several track meets bringing people into town from many different towns. Outside of highschool athletics, the track is used for elementary field day in the spring and many community members also use the track for physical activity throughout the year by either walking or jogging on the track.
2) Identify the planning and implementation of the project
a) Describe the methods used to plan and implement the project
The planning and implementation of this project was primarily organized by the Heartland Board of Education. Since the project included replacing the existing track and improving the football field, the total cost of this project was estimated to be over $400,000. The Heartland Board of Education had already budgeted money for the project, but not enough to cover the total sum. As a result Athletic Director, Larry Vancura, and local physician, Dr. James Ohrt, headed up a fundraising effort to raise at least $100,000 to help complete the project.
b) Describe how the project relates to the community’s overall goals
One of the main goals of the community of Henderson is to attract and retain young families and residents in our community. One way to keep young adults engaged in the community is to give them a place to become involved such as the school system. Having adequate facilities for students to participate in athletic activities is a high priority for students and families. By making these improvements to the track and football field, it shows potential residents that this community is interested in our future generations and is committed to offer our students the best education and athletic experience in the best facilities we can offer.
c) Describe how the project was identified as a priority for the community
This project originated when Alan Janzen, a local businessman with children in the school system, and Larry Vancura, Heartland Athletic Director, viewed a similar project at Superior High School. Due to the condition of the track there was an obvious need for the new track and with the equipment Alan could provide for removal of the old track and soil preparation for the new track, much of the work could be done by volunteers. Once the ball was rolling Dr. James Ohrt approached Larry Vancura about assisting with fundraising for the project , and with the approval of the Heartland school board, the group proceeded to seek funding for the project.
3) Describe volunteer involvement in planning and implementing the project.
a) Describe how responsibilities were delegated among volunteers.
Many volunteers were organized to help with this project. Volunteers were either contacted by school staff based on either skill, knowledge and equipment, or volunteers came forward if they knew they could help with the project. Some projects completed by volunteers were larger than others but each was important to the success of the project. Vancura and Ohrt were volunteers who came forward offering to raise money in order to complete the project. Other volunteers came forward to do projects as big as leveling work and as little as mowing the newly laid sod with a push mower. Other volunteers who knew how to install underground sprinklers were contacted and asked to volunteer their knowledge and service.
b) Describe how volunteers were recruited for the project.
Volunteers were contacted in person, by phone calls, invitations in the local newspaper, the Henderson Community Foundation fall mailing, Heartland Community Schools website and the Heartland Community Schools monthly newsletter.
4) Identify Project Outcomes.
a) What did the community intend to change as a result of the project?
The community wanted to increase community support of the school, increase physical activity in the community and show support for the youth of the community as a result of this project. By raising funds for this project through businesses, families and school supports the community was able to come together and support the local school system. It is easy for parents and grandparents to support their individual child or grandchild, but this project encouraged them to look at the big picture and create a track and football field that could be used for future generations and impact many youth from this and surrounding communities. The community also intended to encourage increased community physical activity through this project. Many community members use the track on a daily basis as part of their personal fitness routine. Whether they are walking or running, the track now has an even clean surface to use. The community also intended to show support for youth activities through this project. It is important to show this generation of youth that they are important and supported. Participating in an extra curricular activity is a great way to keep students involved and out of trouble. By supporting this project, citizens were showing our youth that they are important to this community.
b) Describe community wide support of the project
Support for this project was a community-wide effort from the monetary and voluntary standpoints. Monetary Support for the project was shown from grandparents, parents, businesses and the general community. To date there have been 53 donors for this project with new donors still coming forward to help with additional costs covered by Heartland Community Schools. Financial support for this project had an even greater significance considering the state of the economy during this project. In many places projects such as this would have been cut, but instead the community of Henderson came together to make sure the project was completed. Community support was also shown through the donation of time spent volunteering to complete this project. There was a large age range of volunteers with varying levels of construction experience who were willing to help any way they could to complete the project. With over 50 people volunteering to help with this project, it is obvious that there was wide support for this project from the community.
c) Describe how the final project impacted the community, including measurable data (Measurable data includes both qualitative and quantitative information).
The community of Henderson and Heartland Community Schools saw the impact of this project in the amount of time it took the community to complete the project. With such a drive to complete the project in time for the football season, everyone worked hard to accomplish that goal. Holding home football games at Heartland Community Schools is important not only to bring residents to the games to support the local team, but to impact the school financially through the concession stand and admission receipts. Luckily the project was completed in a timely manor, and no home games were missed. The final project also impacted the community by making the track an adequate facility to host conference and district track meets, which bring more people to the community each spring and create more revenue through the concession stand and money spent at local businesses.
5) Describe how resources were identified and used to successfully implement the project.
a) Monetary (grants, fund-raising, bonds, etc.)
The entire cost of the project was about $500,000. From that amount, $150,000 were donated to support costs of the project and an additional $100,000 was saved due to in-kind labor and equipment usage.
b) Material and supplies (purchases and donated)
Much of the material and supplies used for the project were purchased at a discounted rate. The major items included the underground sprinkler equipment and fly ash. Supplies that were donated for use included: four skid loaders, backhoes, trucks and farm equipment.
c) Labor (volunteer, in-kind, and paid services)
Most of the labor for this project was volunteer or in-kind. This included: Demolition of the old high jump pad and track, base preparation for the new track, installation of underground sprinklers and drainage, crowning the football field, landscaping, removal of sod, hauling sod, and mowing new sod.
6)Future Plans
a) How will the community build upon or follow-up with this project in the future?
Heartland Community Schools will be the driving force in building upon the football and track programs into the future and maintaining the new facility. They currently have a very successful track program in which several students from the Heartland team qualify for the State Track Meet and place in the event each year. They will continue to promote physical activity and adult socialization in the community through the track and football field, which will improve the quality of life in Henderson and the surrounding area.
b) What has the community learned from this project that can be applied to future development efforts?
The completion of the Heartland Track and Football field improvements has taught the community that major projects can be accomplished with the help of the community. This makes it possible to take on these projects in the future. It has also taught the community to invest in projects that support the youth in our community. If we invest in them and show them support now, they will be more likely to consider Henderson as a place to move back to and raise their family someday.
7) Please describe what aspects (if any) of the project were especially unique or creative?
This project was unique due to the size of our community. Not many communities with less than 1,000 people can support a project of this magnitude during economic hard times. Usually people don’t make donation to a public school because it already receives money from residents through taxes; but the community of Henderson did not let that stop them from supporting an important project. This project was also unique because people of all ages were willing to volunteer any way they could to make this project possible.
York News-Times Article
Name of Community: Henderson Population: 986
Name of Project: Heartland Community Schools Track and Football Field Project
Name of Contact Person: Kelsey Bergen
Day Phone: (402) 723-4228 Eve Phone: (402) 723-5478 Email: hchamber@mainstaycomm.net
Category: Community Development
Subcategory: Parks, Recreation, and Environmental Awareness
Date Project Started (mo./yr.) 05/2009 Dated Completed: 09/2009
Is the Project Annual/Ongoing: Ongoing
Volunteer Hours: 500 Number of Volunteers: 50
1) Brief Description of the Project
The Heartland Community Schools’ Track was deteriorating to the point that the track needed to be resurfaced or completely reinstalled. The track had already been resurfaced a number of times, since it was originally installed, but the same problems kept surfacing due to a lack of a solid foundation beneath the track, so resurfacing the track would likely lead to the same problems down the road. While the obvious solution was to reinstall the track to prevent the same problems in the future, this type of project came with a large price tag that the school district was not able to afford. Several individuals in the community felt so strongly about the need for a new track that they wanted to help raise the funds need to install a new track. The Heartland Board of Education had calculated that the project would cost $400,000, which they would not be able to fund on their own. With the help of a large number of volunteers and monetary donations, the track was reinstalled with a better soil base and several other projects involving the football field were tackled. While construction was happening on the trackit made sense to crown the football field (since it didn’t drain water very well) and install an underground sprinkler system on the football field to help maintain the turf. Before school dismissed for the summer, work began on the track/football field in hopes that it would be ready in time for the fall football season a few months away. Due to the hard work of many volunteers from the community of Henderson and the surrounding area, the project was finished in time for the first home football game.
While this project primarily impacted the Heartland Community School students participating in the football and track, the new track/football field also serves the greater Henderson Community. During the fall, many community members attend home football games at this field to support the youth of our community. In this way the field serves as a source of entertainment and socialization for the community when they come together to support the local football team. During track season, Heartland Community Schools hosts several track meets bringing people into town from many different towns. Outside of highschool athletics, the track is used for elementary field day in the spring and many community members also use the track for physical activity throughout the year by either walking or jogging on the track.
2) Identify the planning and implementation of the project
a) Describe the methods used to plan and implement the project
The planning and implementation of this project was primarily organized by the Heartland Board of Education. Since the project included replacing the existing track and improving the football field, the total cost of this project was estimated to be over $400,000. The Heartland Board of Education had already budgeted money for the project, but not enough to cover the total sum. As a result Athletic Director, Larry Vancura, and local physician, Dr. James Ohrt, headed up a fundraising effort to raise at least $100,000 to help complete the project.
b) Describe how the project relates to the community’s overall goals
One of the main goals of the community of Henderson is to attract and retain young families and residents in our community. One way to keep young adults engaged in the community is to give them a place to become involved such as the school system. Having adequate facilities for students to participate in athletic activities is a high priority for students and families. By making these improvements to the track and football field, it shows potential residents that this community is interested in our future generations and is committed to offer our students the best education and athletic experience in the best facilities we can offer.
c) Describe how the project was identified as a priority for the community
This project originated when Alan Janzen, a local businessman with children in the school system, and Larry Vancura, Heartland Athletic Director, viewed a similar project at Superior High School. Due to the condition of the track there was an obvious need for the new track and with the equipment Alan could provide for removal of the old track and soil preparation for the new track, much of the work could be done by volunteers. Once the ball was rolling Dr. James Ohrt approached Larry Vancura about assisting with fundraising for the project , and with the approval of the Heartland school board, the group proceeded to seek funding for the project.
 |
| Alan Janzen volunteered his time and equipment to level the track and surrounding area. |
3) Describe volunteer involvement in planning and implementing the project.
a) Describe how responsibilities were delegated among volunteers.
Many volunteers were organized to help with this project. Volunteers were either contacted by school staff based on either skill, knowledge and equipment, or volunteers came forward if they knew they could help with the project. Some projects completed by volunteers were larger than others but each was important to the success of the project. Vancura and Ohrt were volunteers who came forward offering to raise money in order to complete the project. Other volunteers came forward to do projects as big as leveling work and as little as mowing the newly laid sod with a push mower. Other volunteers who knew how to install underground sprinklers were contacted and asked to volunteer their knowledge and service.
 |
| Randy Ratzlaff volunteered his insight to underground sprinkler installation. |
Volunteers were contacted in person, by phone calls, invitations in the local newspaper, the Henderson Community Foundation fall mailing, Heartland Community Schools website and the Heartland Community Schools monthly newsletter.
4) Identify Project Outcomes.
a) What did the community intend to change as a result of the project?
The community wanted to increase community support of the school, increase physical activity in the community and show support for the youth of the community as a result of this project. By raising funds for this project through businesses, families and school supports the community was able to come together and support the local school system. It is easy for parents and grandparents to support their individual child or grandchild, but this project encouraged them to look at the big picture and create a track and football field that could be used for future generations and impact many youth from this and surrounding communities. The community also intended to encourage increased community physical activity through this project. Many community members use the track on a daily basis as part of their personal fitness routine. Whether they are walking or running, the track now has an even clean surface to use. The community also intended to show support for youth activities through this project. It is important to show this generation of youth that they are important and supported. Participating in an extra curricular activity is a great way to keep students involved and out of trouble. By supporting this project, citizens were showing our youth that they are important to this community.
b) Describe community wide support of the project
Support for this project was a community-wide effort from the monetary and voluntary standpoints. Monetary Support for the project was shown from grandparents, parents, businesses and the general community. To date there have been 53 donors for this project with new donors still coming forward to help with additional costs covered by Heartland Community Schools. Financial support for this project had an even greater significance considering the state of the economy during this project. In many places projects such as this would have been cut, but instead the community of Henderson came together to make sure the project was completed. Community support was also shown through the donation of time spent volunteering to complete this project. There was a large age range of volunteers with varying levels of construction experience who were willing to help any way they could to complete the project. With over 50 people volunteering to help with this project, it is obvious that there was wide support for this project from the community.
 |
| Volunteers installing underground sprinklers. |
c) Describe how the final project impacted the community, including measurable data (Measurable data includes both qualitative and quantitative information).
The community of Henderson and Heartland Community Schools saw the impact of this project in the amount of time it took the community to complete the project. With such a drive to complete the project in time for the football season, everyone worked hard to accomplish that goal. Holding home football games at Heartland Community Schools is important not only to bring residents to the games to support the local team, but to impact the school financially through the concession stand and admission receipts. Luckily the project was completed in a timely manor, and no home games were missed. The final project also impacted the community by making the track an adequate facility to host conference and district track meets, which bring more people to the community each spring and create more revenue through the concession stand and money spent at local businesses.
 |
| Heartland football team taking the field for the first game on the newly crowned football field. |
a) Monetary (grants, fund-raising, bonds, etc.)
The entire cost of the project was about $500,000. From that amount, $150,000 were donated to support costs of the project and an additional $100,000 was saved due to in-kind labor and equipment usage.
 |
| Larry Vancura and Dr. James Ohrt receive a donation from Jim Mestl and Corbin Tessman of Cornerstone Bank. |
b) Material and supplies (purchases and donated)
Much of the material and supplies used for the project were purchased at a discounted rate. The major items included the underground sprinkler equipment and fly ash. Supplies that were donated for use included: four skid loaders, backhoes, trucks and farm equipment.
 |
| Removing sod from the football field. |
c) Labor (volunteer, in-kind, and paid services)
Most of the labor for this project was volunteer or in-kind. This included: Demolition of the old high jump pad and track, base preparation for the new track, installation of underground sprinklers and drainage, crowning the football field, landscaping, removal of sod, hauling sod, and mowing new sod.
 |
| Volunteers installing the underground sprinklers on the football field. |
6)Future Plans
a) How will the community build upon or follow-up with this project in the future?
Heartland Community Schools will be the driving force in building upon the football and track programs into the future and maintaining the new facility. They currently have a very successful track program in which several students from the Heartland team qualify for the State Track Meet and place in the event each year. They will continue to promote physical activity and adult socialization in the community through the track and football field, which will improve the quality of life in Henderson and the surrounding area.
b) What has the community learned from this project that can be applied to future development efforts?
The completion of the Heartland Track and Football field improvements has taught the community that major projects can be accomplished with the help of the community. This makes it possible to take on these projects in the future. It has also taught the community to invest in projects that support the youth in our community. If we invest in them and show them support now, they will be more likely to consider Henderson as a place to move back to and raise their family someday.
7) Please describe what aspects (if any) of the project were especially unique or creative?
This project was unique due to the size of our community. Not many communities with less than 1,000 people can support a project of this magnitude during economic hard times. Usually people don’t make donation to a public school because it already receives money from residents through taxes; but the community of Henderson did not let that stop them from supporting an important project. This project was also unique because people of all ages were willing to volunteer any way they could to make this project possible.
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| Fourteen volunteers helped to push mow the field after the new sod was laid, since a riding mower was too heavy for the new grass. |
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