ThriveABI Unveils the Community Vision

February 11, 2020

The ThriveABI steering committee is pleased to unveil the Community Vision! This is the community’s vision for what it wants Abilene to look like in the future.

The Community Foundation of Abilene has been honored to help lead the initiative through the community visioning process.

Around 2,000 Abilenians took part in the process to establish this vision, either by taking a survey or participating in an open forum or discussion group. The common, recurring themes that came out of that process are represented in the vision.

The steering committee created a first draft of the vision, then asked participants for feedback, then made final revisions based on that public feedback.

Abilene's Community Vision:

Abilene is a dynamic, compassionate and welcoming community centered on helping one another. We have access to options for quality education, affordable health and child care, efficient transportation and resources to meet essential needs. We offer seamless pathways for educational and professional growth, entrepreneurship and careers that provide competitive wages. We cherish our rich history, strong spiritual foundation and cultural landscape. We celebrate our nationally-recognized arts, flourishing downtown and innovative approaches to enhance our quality of life. As a community, we hold ourselves accountable to work together to ensure that Abilene is a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Next steps for ThriveABI:

Now that the vision is established, next steps include:

• Gather data related to the issues identified in the vision.
• Set goals for improvements in each of those areas, in order to move towards the ideals identified in the vision.
• The steering committee is now working to determine the best organizational structure to carry the initiative moving forward. This decision should be finalized by the end of February.
• Once the program structure is in place, that organization will take the lead on driving progress towards the vision. Example of how the process could work:
  • This process will likely involve choosing one or two issues at a time to address. Agencies and individuals who can play a role in affecting that issue can get involved in working together and developing strategies to move towards the goal.

More information on next steps to be announced soon.