HomeTown Partnership: Over 5 Years in Action

It has been over five years since the inception of HomeTown Partnership in Barry County. Based on the HomeTown Competitiveness model in Nebraska, HomeTown Partnership has grown and developed into its own comprehensive strategy for long-term rural community sustainability for the Barry County community. Barry County has been able to turn this model into a "way of business" and energize our community to build upon our assets and strengthen our economic outlook. Long-term rural sustainability can be interpreted as maintaining and protecting our community while making the necessary strides to assure current and future success. These strides will be taken in the HomeTown Partnership model's four pillars: Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Youth and Community Assets, which define and support a healthy, rural community. Such a model is important for Barry County because it maximizes our assets, models responsible action, strengthens our community core and allows the community to keep its rural character, small-town atmosphere and reliable citizenry into the indefinite future. Each of the pillar committees have been working hard over the past year to put on events and create opportunities to work towards our common goal: long-term sustainability. HomeTown Partnership is being organized by the partner agencies of Barry County United Way, Barry County Economic Development Alliance, Barry Chamber of Commerce, MSU Extension and the Barry Community Foundation. If you would like more information, call the Barry Community Foundation at (269)945-0526. We will help you find your place in our partnership!