LaFayette local works to Connect, Engage & Inspire the community
By KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — LaFayette local Ebony Askew is working to spread the good news of her outreach organization Connect, Engage & Inspire. Askew said she saw the need for this outreach when she realized that often community members are not aware of the resources available to them, and through Connect, Engage & Inspire, she plans to partner with both the organizations working to serve locals and the locals in need of resources.
“The idea derived from my involvement with the HeadStart community and the Civil Community Action community we serve Chambers County, Tallapoosa County and Coosa County,” she said. “In those spaces what I noticed was, there are so many connections, resources and involvement, but a lot of times those things are not visual, so the parents or the schools don’t necessarily automatically connect to them.
“I wanted to find a space or find a way to connect and engage some of the community organizations, community spaces or agencies, community leaders, sometimes our churches and pastors and things like that to find a way that we can connect in a bigger way or in a visible way, to make sure that we’re serving the community, serving our spaces and making a bigger and more positive impact.”
Askew said she looks forward to supporting organizations and agencies by helping them navigate reaching locals and helping lead informative sessions to empower leaders to reach community members with future resources as their outreach grows.
“A couple of the leading initiatives that I would want to expound on would be workplace seminars where you are bringing in organizations, their teams, maybe the school, employers, employees, teachers and counselors, private organizations that are looking to make a bigger impact in the community,” she said. “Having those seminars allows me to engage or to see, ‘Hey, what kind of impact do we want to have? And these are the ways that we can do that.’ Those kinds of things are very important because it’s hard to look at yourself individually, as well as the influence that you bring to the space that you’re in.”
Along with educating organizations, Askew said she is looking to help inform locals on the resources available to them and empower them to reach out for help and connection to resources.
“There are a lot of nonprofit organizations that want to serve in our community, or have benefits for our community, parents, community members or businesses, and so engaging those two and aligning those resources will make an even better impact on the community at large and for others to network and build those relationships,” she said. “Once those relationships are built, you have other developmental programs, engagement sessions, some businesses and some agencies being more active in the community… I think those are my top initiatives, whether seminars, workshops or you need to even create an initiative within your company or business that you want to make visible to the community.”
While Askew said the idea for Connect, Engage & Inspire has been building for over a year, this spring marks the launch to the public. Since working to let the community know about this opportunity for connection, Askew said she has already heard positive feedback.
“I think the most excitement that I have seen [was when] I talked with the school system, I’ve spoken with some of our nonprofit organizations, and a lot of their reasoning for wanting something like Connect, Engage & Inspire is more public involvement. These organizations are looking to find a way to engage our community and be more available to our community members.”
For more information, follow Ebony Askew - Connect, Engage & Inspire on Facebook or email, Ebonyaskew.bethechange@gmail.com.
