Morning Sun, IA

The Horzions committee became aware that food stamps were no longer accepted in Morning Sun. They have begun working with DHS to coordinate food stamp acceptance at local grocers.

The Horizons committee recieved an astounding response rate to their survey about local food systems. The committee collaborated with the local paper to distribute surveys regarding food systems and co-op opporunities in Morning Sun and received an amazing 126 responses! This is a critcal needs asssement tool that will allow the group to move forward and work with state officials.

The Horizons committee uses table tents in local restaurants, businesses, and agencies to announce their meetings and successes. The table tents also list poverty statistics for the community and the area so that people become more aware of poverty within their community.

Joan Bausch is a woman with a plan. After attending the Horizons spotlight in Ollie last year Joan decided that Morning Sun needed a sign at the city’s entrance. Joan had attended the spotlight session that asked memebers to develop the ideal sign for their town that would describe their town to newcomers. This started Joan thinking about a sign for Morning Sun. She was able to work with the City to have land donated and the design was created by a local graphic designer. The sign is nearing completion and it is indication of the leadership in the community.

>The next big fundraiser for the Morning Sun Community Center is the “Get On The Bandwagon” event on Saturday, May 31^st.   Bring your lawn chair and find a seat “inside” the painted outline of the new community center.  (On Main Street, the site of the old Delzell Shop.) In the morning donuts from Casey’s will be available.  Then there’s music, music, music thru the day!  Walk-ons invited!!  Stage, Electric Piano and Sound System provided!A great lunch of Maidrites, hotdogs, chips and cookies will be served up by the staff of Iowa State Bank.  All proceeds from food and other donations made that day will go toward the monies currently being raised to match the Vision Iowa Grant that the Community Center Committee has been awarded.A $5,000 challenge match for the day has been announced – meaning all the money donated that day, up to $5,000 will be matched by another donor.  In addition, Mr. Graber has agreed to match the first $100 in change raised by the school children and Music and Spanish Teacher Mrs. Nancy Martin has agreed to match the 2^nd $100 in change from the kids.  Look for the big bottle of change to fill up during the day!All children who come to the event during the day will be invited to put their handprints on a banner that will show how many people have worked on the wonderful musical event!Bring your The next big fundraiser for the Morning Sun Community Center is the “Get On The Bandwagon” event on Saturday, May 31^st.   Bring your lawn chair and find a seat “inside” the painted outline of the new community center.  (On Main Street, the site of the old Delzell Shop.) In the morning donuts from Casey’s will be available.  Then there’s music, music, music thru the day!  The line up includes the following:·         10am-11am - MS Elementary vocal and instrumental solos·         11-11:30am - Smooth Harmony, the Famed Barbershop Group from Mediapolis High School·         11:30am-12pm – The Morning Sun Elementary Spring Program·         12-12:30pm- Valentin Ruiz with Hispanic Music·         12:30-1pm - Various community solo performances including Miss Louisa County!·         1-2pm – Mediapolis High School  instrumental performances ·         Walk-ons invited!!  Stage, Electric Piano and Sound System provided!A great lunch of Maidrites, hotdogs, chips and cookies will be served up by the staff of Iowa State Bank.  All proceeds from food and other donations made that day will go toward the monies currently being raised to match the Vision Iowa Grant that the Community Center Committee has been awarded.A $5,000 challenge match for the day has been announced – meaning all the money donated that day, up to $5,000 will be matched by another donor.  In addition, Mr. Graber has agreed to match the first $100 in change raised by the school children and Music and Spanish Teacher Mrs. Nancy Martin has agreed to match the 2^nd $100 in change from the kids.  Look for the big bottle of change to fill up during the day! All children who come to the event during the day will be invited to put their handprints on a banner that will show how many people have worked on the wonderful musical event!Bring your change, or your checkbook and a chair and enjoy the day of musical entertainment and community fun on Saturday in Morning Sun!  (In case of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the Morning Sun Elementary School.)

Transportation is often a problem for people in poverty and after much research Morning Sun discovered that there is not a lack of transportation so much as there is a lack of understanding on how to use the public transportation system. The Horizons committee is working with Southeast Iowa Regional Planning to coordinate transportation trainings for Morning Sun residents and enable them to benefit fully from the public transportation system. The trainings will be held periodically in Morning Sun.

Horizons have clearly helped people in Morning Sun stand up and take leadership. Through the Horizons project the town held a town meeting regarding co-ops and grocery stores. The meeting was a terrific success and with more than 60 people in attendance. The community clearly took leadership of the process. A committee has stepped forward to tour co-ops, buyer partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and other small town grocery options. The committee is will also create a feasibility study to determine local grocery needs and shopping habits. Prior to the Horizons project the town might not have come together to explore the options. Horizons provided the framework for the community to come together and take action to solve their problems instead of just accepting them

Morning Sun has been very successful in helping residents in poverty. The Horizons groups formed a Welcome bag committee that worked with local schools and businesses to make Welcome bags for new residents. The effort was a real success and the youth enjoyed being part of a community project. Morning Sun also completed a Paint-a-thon to help senior residents with their homes. The committee worked with local businesses who donated paint, supplies, and staff time to complete the project. The group felt the Paint-a-thon was very successful and is hoping to hold a Work-a-thon next summer to help people with minor home repairs and clean-up.

The Horizons project has helped Morning Sun focus on what is important to the community and the community feels it is very important to have a community center. The Community Development group meets regularly to create a working plan for a community center. So far the group has secured an architectural drawing from a former Morning Sun resident and they are working with Southeast Iowa Planning to secure funding for the project. The Community Center will be a gathering place for youth and seniors and it will provide the opportunity for programs for all people. The Community Center will be terrific asset for people in poverty in Morning Sun because they will have a place to meet and become a part of the community and they will not have to travel. The center will also provide a meeting place for youth to gather outside of school.

Throughout the Horizons process, in Study Circles, and LeadershipPlenty, groups have struggled with transportation issues in Morning Sun. Transportation is often a big problem for people who are in poverty and people who are close to poverty. A group of concerned citizens met to discuss how to solve this issue in Morning Sun and after much discussion they came to realize that they have resources such as the local area BUS service but few people understand how the system works. So the group is partnering with Southeast Iowa Regional Planning and will be offering a training day for the BUS service. They will train different church groups and community organizations so there will be a large group of residents familiar with the system. They are also creating articles for the local paper and instructions to give to new residents and new public transportation users.