FORT DAVIS – Jeff Davis County Judge Curtis Evans and Mobile Comunidad will host a local version of the regional Community-Building Summit held earlier this month in Alpine. Jeff Davis County residents and community leaders are invited to attend on Tuesday, February 4, at 6 p.m. at Mobile Comunidad’s Mountain View Café.
This will be a video presentation of the talk by Doug Griffiths, author of 13 Ways to Kill Your Community — the book that inspired Alpine Community Projects to host the regional event. The showing will be followed by a discussion connecting the 13 Ways to Jeff Davis County. County Judge Curtis Evans was just one of nearly a dozen Jeff Davis County leaders who attended the recent summit. As in that event, ideas generated during the February 4 discussion will be collected to encourage future actions to create positive change in the county.
Organizers encourage residents, church leaders, business owners, elected officials, school staff, law enforcement, first responders and nonprofit board members to attend. “Anyone passionate about Jeff Davis County and its future should take part in this event as we identify challenges and opportunities facing the community,” said Jeanine Southerland, a founder of Mobile Comunidad and member of the Alpine Community Projects Summit Steering Committee. “The discussion session should result in a list of specific priorities to address and potential future courses of action.”
There will be no charge for the evening’s program, and refreshments will be served. Mountain View Café is located one mile south of Fort Davis at 501 SH-118. More information is available at 432-756-5522. Companies and organizations wishing to show a 13 Ways video presentation to their employees or members may request links and details to facilitate additional events to focus on specific areas of community-building.
The book 13 Ways to Kill Your Community is available at Alpine’s Front Street Books and online. It is described as offering a no-nonsense, practical approach to community building, which can be easily grasped. It offers practical, implementable steps that can be taken to bring a moribund community back to life. The 13 ways outlined in the book cover topics ranging from ensuring adequate safe water, encouraging residents to shop local, and valuing a community’s senior citizens and newcomers. The book also explains the importance of community aesthetics, leaders’ willingness to embrace change, and cooperation among organizations, businesses, agencies, boards, and other communities.
Mobile Comunidad is a nonprofit organization with the mission to provide accessibility to healthy food, technology, literacy, healthcare, and economic stability through community engagement and collaborative partnerships.
Alpine Community Projects is working with several area communities to promote localized versions of the larger summit. Both Marfa and Marathon are expected to organize events. Alpine Community Projects is an expressly non-partisan nonprofit organization that supports, energizes, and undertakes projects that enable Alpine and its citizens to flourish and lead more fulfilling and happy lives at every age.