En Español
How would you rate your community? We asked that question in nearly sixty conversations and invariably folks answered with a question: “What do you mean by community?”
One group of faith leaders sat silent with the question for a while then voiced a different question to themselves: “Is anyone experiencing a deep loneliness in the people you serve?”
Just as we published the last edition of TRENDS, Boulder was named the happiest city in the United States. More questions: “Who is happy?” and “What do they mean by happy?” Apparently, the study was talking about people who had the means and agency to live healthy, fun, and secure lives. But even the happy people weren’t as satisfied with the purpose of their lives.
On the way to answering the question of what we mean by community, many people said the same thing. It is good to be in a setting where we can truly connect about what is most important to us without beating each other up. Connection and purpose. A religious institution is a place for such things. So is a community foundation.
Your Community Foundation Boulder County presents TRENDS — a resource by and about our community. TRENDS reports not only the “What” in our community, but asks “What Next” and “To What End?” Your foundation’s “To What End” is a place of equity — a community where all can thrive, especially those of us who must overcome tremendous odds just to get to a level playing field.
TRENDS is also now expanding from a biennial community indicators resource to a year-round initiative reporting on issues of inequity. You’ll be able to listen to the TRENDS podcast, on KGNU and elsewhere, and help identify and tell the stories of the most important issues in our community.
Please support the work of your Community Foundation. Most important, please be part of the ongoing striving to build an equitable Boulder County.
Yours in community,
Jeff Hirota
CEO, Community Foundation Boulder County