COMMUNITY HEART & SOUL

WATER

Past, Present, and Future on the Water: Using StoryMaps to Explore Bucksport, Maine

What does a mile-long stretch along the Penobscot River tell the walker about Bucksport, Maine? As it turns out, a lot.

CIVIC LIFE

A Town of Doers Works Together to Preserve Their Past and Plan Their Future

Residents and businesses in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania have adopted a mantra: if it’s a community problem, it’s their problem too.

RURAL & REGIONAL

Inside Our Towns: Jason Neises

Discussing opportunities, real and perceived challenges in small-town America, and the impact of Community Heart & Soul in Iowa.

LIBRARIES

A Remarkable Woman Builds a Remarkable Library

This is the story of how a late-1800s free public library built by Amelia S. Givin in Mt. Holly Springs, Pennsylvania continues to bring the region together today.

FAITH INSTITUTIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

How Powerful Stories Are Rebuilding a Church

This is the story of Elias Van Buren Parker and how today’s telling of his story has the power to pull the town of Mt. Holly Springs, Pennsylvania from its early glory days, then decline, back to new days of glory.

CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Fountains of Youth for Towns

The life and spirit of any town or city depend on its ability to attract and retain people. In a time when many worry about brain drain, how communities keep their young people, or bring them back, or attract newcomers illustrates a place's sense of and attention to renewal.

INVENTION & RENEWAL

Revitalizing a community by focusing on 'quality of life'

Galesburg residents are redefining the heart and soul of the town by bringing their unique history and heritage to the fore.

COLLABORATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS

A New Partnership: Community Heart & Soul

Community Heart & Soul and Our Towns Civic Foundation are collaborating to bring national attention to the stories of innovation and renewal in small cities and towns across the United States.

CIVIC LIFE

How River Walks Make a Community

Bucksport's waterfront is a major natural asset for the Maine town. And along it runs Bucksport's Walkway. Here's a look at the river walk and why it matters.