Friends and Neighbors
The Rosendale Heart & Soul effort was initiated in spring 2022 by the Rosendale Economic Development Committee which was aware that the most recent Rosendale comprehensive plan was completed in 2005.
Rosendale Heart and Soul, Inc. seeks to build on the prior town plan, increase and improve engagement among Rosendale and its hamlets. The project received a supporting resolution from the Town Board and then became an independent NYS nonprofit 501(c)3 organization supported by a core group of volunteers. This project will provide a process to bridge business, social, and geographic divides and create a community that supports all residents.
We applied to the Community Heart & Soul (c) in summer 2022 and were accepted. To get started we received a $10,000 matching grant and a Community H&S coach. We began having weekly meetings, reporting to a growing email list of over 130 community members.
The core team and sub-teams were formalized in fall of 2022 and, because of its inclusive nature and its efficiency, Sociocracy was chosen as the method of governance. Rosendale Heart and Soul, Inc. has completed the first phase, “Imagine,” culminating in an official launch to introduce the project to the broader community, and is now working on the second phase, collecting “Postcards to Rosendale” and interviewing people who live, work and play here.