It’s undeniable that Waxahachie is filled with people who want to help. They want to be part of the solution.
With dozens of non-profits, government initiatives, programs within the school system, business investments, and many churches involved, this is clear. There are a lot of people working for the good of Waxahachie.
In fact, did you know that there’s an average of 16 churches for every McDonald’s in America? We’re throwing the averages off a little here in Waxahachie. For our one McDonald’s, we have over 70 churches. Maybe this means we should build another McDonald’s. Or Maybe it just proves the point that there are a lot of great things happening here. We think it’s the latter.
Despite all the effort and good intentions, there are still significant needs that aren’t being met. How can this be?
Our community wrestles with very real issues like homeless youth, poverty, access to healthcare, and racial tensions, along with many other valid concerns. So which needs are most pressing? Perhaps that’s our greatest challenge.
Without clear, objective data it’s hard to know how to prioritize. It’s even harder to work together toward real solutions. But when we know the truth about the needs in our community it allows various organizations to come together and work toward measurable outcomes.
So, with our genuine desire to help each other, maybe we’ve simply been asking the wrong questions. Instead of asking, “How can I help?” perhaps we should turn our attention toward discovering the answers to this. “What are our greatest needs that we can address together?”
Of course, we’re not on a mission to merely expose all of our city’s shortcomings. We also want to discover what makes us so great and find ways for all of us to collaboratively support those strengths. We think it will make us even stronger.
Waxahachie is an incredible city with rich history, legacy, and charm. It’s a pretty great place to live. With so many incredible assets, there’s another important question we should be asking, “What are our greatest strengths that we can support together?”
Asking and answering these questions well will allow each of us to stay focused on our own mission, while contributing most efficiently to the big picture. As a community, we want to be strategic and we want to be able to measure the effectiveness of our current initiatives. Knowing the truth about our needs and strengths will allow us to do just that.
Can you imagine a city where leaders across every sector – business, education, government, non-profit, and the church – are working together, discovering the truth, and moving forward in the same direction? We can.
Welcome to The Waxahachie Project. Our best days are yet to come!