The Memorial Fund’s 2001-2003 Triennial Report is now available
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Getting the Picture

The photographs were passed out as people walked in the door. Dozens of pictures that seemed to typify New England -- of parks and cemeteries, schools and post offices, ponds and bridges -- documented the long history and the life of Thompson, a town of 9,000 nestled in the furthest northeast corner of Connecticut. As over a hundred town residents of all ages gathered on an autumn evening in 2002 to participate in a New England tradition -- the community potluck -- the photos were a focal point for engendering conversation. "They allowed us," said one participant, "to hear each other differently."

Taken by one of the potluck’s organizers, the photos were intended to do just that. Those attending the event were encouraged to speak about their connection to the places featured. An elderly man reminisced about painting a mill’s cupola with his father -- making the young people in the room "see that old mill as something besides an abandoned building with windows to break." An elementary school child told the gathering about the help his family received from an agency housed in the building known as the old town library.

This re-envisioning of the traditional New England potluck -- the first in an ongoing quarterly series -- was more than a way for people to spend an enjoyable evening with neighbors. It was part of a very conscious process of developing community self-awareness. "We knew that Graustein had a new approach to working with communities to address the needs of young children," notes one community leader. "As we looked at the Discovery application guidelines, we knew that our first job was to work toward building a healthier community where people talked to each other and where they realized that all of their interests could be addressed. Then we would be able to talk about building stronger supports and positive outcomes for children."

Across all the Discovery communities -- whether through Windsor’s parent brainstorming sessions, Norwalk’s focus groups or Thompson’s quarterly potlucks -- an ongoing learning process has begun to uncover strengths, challenges and resources as a prerequisite to creating positive change.

While among Discovery communities Thompson looks in many ways like the "typical" New England town -- the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbors -- this small municipality is in fact composed of ten separate villages spread over 47 square miles, each village with its own distinct identity. Yankee independence runs deep. "We’re one town with five zip codes," says a town official, "and no one will give up any of them."

Thompson’s history as a mill town inhabited by both mill owners and workers, and its more recent development as a bedroom community to nearby urban areas, have produced great economic, social and political diversity. "We had to deal with those differences and wanted to make sure that the Discovery process did not become what had been the historical town meeting focused on funding agendas," says the head of a town agency -- "where it’s seniors pitted for resources against the needs of education, pitted against the Fire Department. We knew we needed a collective conversation to show us that we could work together as a community on what mattered to us."

Through the Discovery process, asset-based community development (ABCD) was introduced to Thompson residents. During a two-day training, over 70 residents came together to talk about what mattered to them. Together, they created a list of civic concerns, which fell into the categories of economic development, environment, education and communication. These concerns were put under the umbrella of the newly created community development organization "Thompson Together," the creation of which was a direct result of Thompson’s participation in Discovery.

Groups focused on each of these areas worked on projects ranging from stream cleanups to an exhibit featuring the work of local artists, to the creation of a town web site. The community potlucks -- including the event featuring the photographs -- were held.

In the meantime, a League of Women Voters grant funded a community conversation specifically about what could be done to improve life for children from birth through age eight. The communications group came up with the idea of using Fire Department and church newsletters to communicate important information about services and activities to parents of young children. "The quality of early childhood education was a common thread through all our conversations," notes a local preschool teacher. "Ultimately, it is all about working towards making Thompson a healthier, happier place to live and to raise children."

Echoed by the other Discovery communities, that sentiment is at the heart of Discovery. While the Memorial Fund is focused specifically on issues related to young children, Thompson’s holistic approach is unique. "The Discovery influence allowed for unprecedented collaboration among town agencies, the school system, local non-profits and interest groups," says a community leader. "It led to our being able to save the town’s youth center. Our teenagers are organizing to create a skateboard park. We’re on the verge of kicking off a Community Health Center project with another Discovery town because of Discovery conversations. The spirit of collaboration in the past two years -- among individuals, among populations, among communities and interest groups -- has been amazing to watch."