Sierra Shared Spaces - Our Vision for a Community Hub

What exactly is a Community Hub?

A Community Hub is a place where the community can gather, grow, and build a better future together.

"A community hub is like a one-stop-shop for everything your community needs to thrive. It's a place where people can come together, collaborate, access resources, and support each other."

"Think of it like a neighborhood center, but with more of a focus on building community, fostering innovation, and promoting economic development."

"It's a place where you can connect with like-minded people, learn new skills, attend and host community events, and create positive change in your community."

Our Guiding Principles

Collaboration

We aim to foster a spirit of collaboration and cooperation among community members, organizations, and our many stakeholders to achieve our shared goals. We are not building the space or designing programming FOR the community, but rather collaborating WITH community members, local businesses, and community-led organizations to identify and maximize their unique strengths and resources.

Access

We are committed to supporting our rural communities, and we must ensure that all members of the community have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

Sustainability

We will prioritize long-term, sustainable solutions that enhance the community's ability to thrive over time. We intend for the Community Hub to be self-sustaining once it is launched, without relying on operational grants or continuous fundraising.

Community Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement

We are committed to engaging in extensive and ongoing community consultation and building strong partnerships to identify the needs and to co-create the desired outcomes in the Kern River Valley.

Based on our community and partner consultations to date:

• We plan to locate this Community Hub in Lake Isabella, and the physical space will be designed to be flexible in order to continue to support the needs of the community as they evolve and change over time.
• We are working to provide access to financial resources and educational opportunities to support the development of new and existing local businesses and entrepreneurs.
• We are working to create a space for co-locating both local and regional nonprofits to deliver their services, and to be more present in the communities they serve.
• We are working to increase prosperity without encouraging gentrification, and to collectively improve mental and physical health outcomes in our rural communities. Our goal is to have positive social and economic impacts - improving the well-being and quality of life of our existing community members, before we work to attract more.
• We are working to provide space for community arts, creative and cultural programming, and a variety of community events, in partnership with local artists and organizations.
• We are working to create a greater sense of belonging and increase community pride through inclusive and accessible events and programming, bringing people together.
• We are working to transform the narrative of our communities to one that includes innovation, creation, and growth.
• We are working to foster an appreciation for the land and natural resources including the region’s natural beauty and outdoor activities - through access, education, preservation and conservation programming.
• We are working collaboratively to create a more empowered and resilient community. The Community Hub can serve as a disaster preparedness / emergency response center. We intend for this facility to become a shared community asset.
• We plan to share our learnings, best practices, and our successful Community Hub model, so that other rural communities may also benefit from this project over time.

Potential Project Partners, Hub Tenants, and Programming Partners

We are in early-stage discussions with the following organizations, and many have already expressed support for the Community Hub and interest in partnering as an anchor tenant or programming partner, in order to help us achieve our goals in the region.

Next Steps

Now that we have confirmed community and organizational support for the project, we are completing a feasibility study and complete business plan to prepare for upcoming fundraising efforts and grant applications.

We Need Your Help

There are 4 ways you and your organization can help us get to the next phase of this project.

1. Fundraising or collaborating on an aligned grant application.

We aim to raise $30,000 to complete our feasibility study and business plan by the end of 2023. These funds are required ASAP to keep the momentum going, and to secure a contract with our desired project lead. We can also support contributions that require aligned studies or research for your organization, as well as tax deductible donations.

2. Provide existing research to include in our feasibility study.

Does your organization already have research or stats to back your contributions to our desired outcomes? No need to duplicate efforts here - we’d love to include your data or case studies within our feasibility study and project planning.

3. Provide a letter of support for our Community Hub project.

If your organization would like to assist us in our fundraising or planning efforts, we would appreciate you writing a letter of support, or sharing a proposed vision for how your organization might play a part in fundraising, building, occupying, activating the hub, or programming within the hub.

4. Connecting us with other value-aligned organizations, granting agencies, community catalysts, and change makers.

We want to ensure everyone has a seat at the table during the early stages of planning and co-creation. Who is already doing or supporting value-aligned work in the community? Who else is working to achieve these shared goals? Who might be seeking to expand or extend their reach into rural communities? Who else might have funding streams available to support the project’s development, now or in the future?

We’d love an introduction!