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The Greater Clark Foundation seeks input and further engagement with an eye on further improving Winchester. 

One way to do such is by collaborating alongside local organizations and businesses and working with esteemed resources. 

To that end, the Greater Clark Foundation and Abettor Brewing Company are collaborating to host the “Abettor Days Ahead: Building a Vibrant Kentucky” event on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 5:30 p.m. at Abettor Brewing Company, 128 N. Highland Street. 

Rich Harwood, President and Founder of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation – a nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping people, organizations, communities, and networks with the tools to build a community effectively – will be present to lead. 

“Given the kind of divisive nature of most recent election seasons, including the current one, Rich has decided to embark on a campaign across the country that aims to bring us together instead of [pushing] us apart,” said Jen Algire, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Greater Clark Foundation. “Given our long relationship with him, we obviously wanted to be part of that.” 

Over the course of three decades, Harwood has worked toward revitalizing communities, transforming organizations, and reconnecting institutions to society. 

Perhaps most famously, he was called upon in Newton, CT, following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. 

As a popular industry figure, Harwood has written six books and scores of articles, presented groundbreaking reports, and appeared in numerous national media outlets. 

Algire hopes that Wednesday’s gathering will be an opportunity for the community to come and enjoy. 

“The idea is that it should be a fun…throwback to the campaign stops of old,” she said. “It used to be that politicians would show up in places like the train depot or the town square…and people would feel this sense of excitement and look ahead to the future. That’s what we wanted to tap into.” 

As such, Abettory Brewing became a popular gathering choice. 

In trying to improve Clark County, GCF has a few ideas. 

“[We] can really lean into what the things that we love about Clark County and the region are and how we can use the power of the political season to come together and have hope for the future,” Algire added. 

The move is one of many to take place by the Greater Clark Foundation during the last year. 

“We funded our first ever cohort of grantees for what we’re calling ‘The Building, Trust, and Belonging Program,’” Algire said. “This program is designed to help build stronger relationships in the community and help our grantees think occasionally of what it takes to build relationships.” 

Grantees continue to work on understanding and remedying complex issues, such as housing, homelessness, substance abuse, and more. 

Algire – and others from Greater Clark Foundation – remain optimistic. 

“I hope people will recognize that there are so many assets here,” she said. “So often, our tendency is to think about the negative…if we step back, there’s a lot about our region that’s working. If we can tap into what’s working, then we can build on that. As we learn about what’s working in one sector, hopefully, we can apply that to another sector.”