The community in Waco, Texas is a special one. Across this city, in every sector, you will come across individuals and organizations who are focused on working collaboratively. It is good to have the will, but what makes it come together is when you have the platform to achieve results. This is where working groups become a very powerful tool in our community toolbox.
Prosper Waco utilizes the principles of collective impact in all our work. One of the main principles of collective impact is to have a common agenda, a shared vision that includes a common understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving it through agreed-upon strategies. In each working group, you will find a common agenda that drives community members to seek results.
In Waco, there are more than 25 different working groups focused on all types of community problems. These community problems are of the kind that no one organization could effectively address on their own. It requires the collective strength of our community. Some of the focuses of the working groups consist of: food insecurity, access to healthcare, opportunity youth, workforce development, STEAM education, the teacher pipeline, community resources, behavioral health, anti-gang initiatives, postsecondary access and foster care.
If your organization, your congregation, or you would like to plug into a group, or work with other partners on solving a larger community goal, please reach out. I would love to connect you with the right group for your passions and gifts. If you want to have a conversation about this and/or other topics about our community, please feel free to reach out — hermann@prosperwaco.org.
Hermann Pereira is Chief Strategic Initiatives Officer for Prosper Waco.