Corydon, IA

Cody Morgan, a recent high school graduate and leadership plenty graduate, has identified a need in his community and is taking action to mobilize community members to get on board.  During the past school year several staff members were released from their contracts because of budget problems.  Community meetings suggested that other ways might be available to address the budget short fall.  Cody organized classmates to investigate ways to cut energy costs at the school.  He gathered information from other school districts who have built wind turbans to generate energy for their buildings.  Cody meet recently with the Wayne County Board of Education to make a presentation on his findings and has received their blessings to continue to work on determining the feasibility of adopting this and other conservation efforts.  Cody is currently recruiting members of the community to serve as a committee for further investigation.

Andy was a facilitator for the Horizons Study Circles and at age 19 was the youngest. He had just received his Associate Degree from Indian Hills Community College. Andy went on to participate in the Leadership Plenty sessions and then became involved in the formation of Welcome, We Help. His commitment to ending poverty has taken him in a new direction. He applied for an internship in Ghana, S. Africa and asked if Welcome, We Help would write him a letter of recommendation. We were excited when he notified us that he had been accepted. He will be leaving this month for a country that is so far removed from Wayne
County. Andy is an example of youth that are aware of the disparities in our economic policies and is actively working to improve conditions for those in need. We wish him the best and are looking forward to hearing all about his time in Ghana. Way to go, Andy!

A group of Wayne high school students who volunteered to clear sidewalks and driveways after the heavy snows of this winter season under the guidance of Chad Wilson.

John Poston is a leader in his community. John started with the Horizons group and continued with the discussion groups through the Action and Vision steps. He has been a mentor to young people in the community for years. John has spent many hours in his community helping to beautify it and improve conditions. John is an active member of WWH and unselfishy volunteers his time to see that the goals for defeating poverty in Corydon are met. John was instrumental in the success of our 1st Annual Dam Duck Race. He has worked many hours on renovating the newly purchased WWH cottage. He knows what it takes to get the job done. Thanks John for all you do.

During Leadership Plenty training in Corydon, one of the community needs discussed was the clothing room in the Legion Hall. Cheryl Mastin, SCICAP, expressed a need to have someone organize the clothing room. Enter Marguerite Fehselke. She has completely reorganized the clothing room and labeled racks and shelves making it easier to find items. Many people in the community probably are still unaware that the clothing is free. We have been spreading the word that it is a no hassle way to shop for clothing. Marguerite has taken on a leadership role in revamping the clothing area and continues to do so on a weekly basis. Thanks, Marguerite!!

Connie Argo had not been an officer of an organization for some years until after she participated in Leadership Plenty. She had been a member of the Quilt Guild in Corydon for a while and when election of new officers came up, she threw her name in the hat to be secretary and was elected to this position. She “blamed” it on the leadership training. Connie is also a founding member of Welcome, We Help! inc and is the person in charge of the Welcome Basket program that delivers a basket with coupons, brochures, business cards, a phone book, movie tickets and other items from the various businesses and organizations in Corydon to newcomers. Connie has done all of this while suffering some serious health challenges. She is an excellent example of someone just waiting to be asked to participate.
Thank you Connie for all you have done!

Melinda Martley agreed to do make-up sessions so that Corydon could meet the magic number of 25 participants for the Leadership Plenty sessions. I am glad she did so. She and her husband, Larry, were our first financial contributor to Welcome, We Help! inc. Melinda has become an active force against poverty in our community volunteering her time to help in any way needed. She has helped deliver Meals on Wheels, solicited a prize package for a Getaway Racing weekend in Newton, Ia as a prize for our annual 4th of July Dam Duck Race at the Corydon Reservoir and most recently helped to draft the policies and procedures for the volunteer program at WWH. A new leader is emerging! Thanks, Melinda!

I was presiding at the WAYCO Arts Council meeting about a year ago when Virginia Ireland asked me if I would be interested in attending a poverty initiative. Of course I said yes since we actually are living at the poverty level ourselves as self employed artists. I don’t think Virginia knew about our financial situation when she issued the invitation. Another arts council member, Marj Pyner, was also involved.

Marj and Virginia are both heavily involved in community volunteering and rarely say no when asked to help. From them I have learned how to be more effective in the community and I have also gained from their wisdom.

Marj and Virginia do so many things behind the scenes that many folks are unaware of. They knocked on many doors to enlist participants in the study circles. They made arrangements for the use of the Methodist church for the Horizons Study Circles as well as when we needed a space for the Leadership Plenty training. Then they both participated in the training.

When Welcome, We Help! inc. formed out of the Study Circles, Virginia was on board from the beginning and Marj was soon to follow. Two women who have, over the many years, contributed generously of their time and money to benefit and make lives better in our community richly deserve to be rewarded and recognized.

Thank you both so much!

Wayne Community citizens have great ideas when it comes to fixing problems. However, ideas are useless unless they are put into effect. The process of bringing these ideas is underway in our community.

Poverty is an unbiased, callous issue that gnaws at the lives of many of our own community members. It raises its ugly head to destroy the lives of the educated and uneducated people in our county. If left alone to continue its destructive behavior, poverty would eventually rip our small communities apart and turn them into ghost towns. We will not stand for this. Poverty has got to go. Because poverty is no respector of persons, it will take leaders and followers from all backgrounds to come together to make it go away.

Corydon has the resources and people it needs to suit up and arm itself against poverty. Leaders in the community are making a statement that change is possible by supporting non-profit groups that are at the forefront of the battle against poverty. Area business owners are donating time, talent, and treasure to help with this cause. There are leaders like JD and BJ Willhite, who have sacrificed much of their own resources to see that the needs of others in the community might be met. The married couple have been active in the fight against poverty; joining the Horizons program and working to inform the public. They are leaders that understand it takes commitment to get something accomplished. The Willhite’s are people who take ideas and find ways to utilize them. They have been instrumental in building support for a local group called Welcome, We Help, inc., which is focused on building a strong community of volunteers that works to meet the needs of the citizens.

A handful of ideas from a few concerned citizens have now become the mission of a community.