An initiative aiming to improve the community for the people who call Elkhart County home is calling on folks to give their input.
 
“Let’s figure out why we like our community and let’s make our community better from our perspective,” says Mike Yoder, Elkhart County Commissioner. 

At 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the Lerner Theater, Yoder says anyone who calls Elkhart County home is invited to kick off a 5 month-long project.

 “If we like our community I think we will talk about it in a more positive way and that will attract other families and other to live in our community,” says Yoder. 
 
The county wide economic effort called ‘Vibrant Communities’ is relying on residents to help. They will discuss possible projects and develop action plans to improve their city and towns.
 
“We focused on attracting businesses to locate here and attracting workers to come and fill the needs of those businesses that we have brought in but we have never focused on quality of place,” says Diana Lawson, with the Elkhart County Visitor’s Center.
 
Lawson says the imitative will help find funding for a variety of projects.  

 “This is a community conversation between all our cities and town about what they would like to see what programs what kinds of amenities, maybe festivals, different events? How is it that they can be helped?” says Lawson. 
 
Jenny weaver owns a local café in Elkhart. She isn’t originally from the city but is going to be at Tuesday’s meeting to give her input.
 
“I moved here about 10 years ago and I didn’t plan on staying,” says Weaver. 
 
She says through her business she found Elkhart to be the type of place she enjoys. 
 
“You are like a big family and yea we have big cities around us but just to come here and have a heart people feel that and so I wanted to be in Elkhart because I feel that,” says Weaver. 
 
Weaver wants to share those feeling to grow a city she’s invested in. It's that type of attitude Commissioner Yoder hopes is brought to the table.
 
“Ultimately it’s going to depend upon the people themselves. Do they really care about becoming involved,” asks Yoder.   
 
For more information on ‘Vibrant Communities’ click here.