Building up community leaders with the pilot year of Community TLC

BY JENNY TOTTEN, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR, THE HUB

The WV Community Development Hub is excited to pilot a new initiative in McDowell and Logan Counties starting this summer! Community Team Leadership Corps (Community TLC) is aimed at supporting individual leaders in small communities and elevating them to form a team. The initiative was developed as a result of the last 2 years of community coaching work in McDowell County.

West Virginians who take part in this initiative will learn strategies to form community teams that will work collaboratively to accomplish projects, create community conversations, build trust, and work through challenges together. Each group will be connected to others doing similar work in the state, learn about resources for both funding and technical assistance, and manage a small-scale community development project. 

Most importantly, these teams will have fun and celebrate the joys and successes of their communities! 

At the conclusion of 18 months, team members will graduate with a skill set that will empower them to continue work in their communities. 

The first four communities to participate in this pilot round are War, Gary, and Premier in McDowell County plus Man in Logan County. 

Gary’s kick off session on July 8 featured 10 community members who are ready, eager, and excited to roll up their sleeves and work hard. The participants learned about the program and also each other during their two hours together. They’re also ready to include others in their journey and have started thinking about who else they should invite!

If you are you interested in bringing positive change to your community, working together as a part of team, and learning how to engage others in your work, consider joining a Community TLC team.

Reach out to Jenny Totten at j.totten@wvhub.org or 304-356-1171 for more information.