Red Oak’s Heart and Soul Community Action Plan:  “Growing Ideas Into Action”

Conversations and planning over several years.

Formal start: 2022, with City of Red Oak recognition and Red Oak Heritage Foundation support.

Funding: $10,000 in local donations, matched by Community Heart & Soul.

Input gathered:

Public Safety: Medicaid dental provider; rehab for frequent offenders; support groups for grooming victims, battered women, Alzheimer’s/dementia.

Economic Development: Housing study; tourism strategy; more childcare funding/facilities; coffee shop; industry contact committee.

Schools: More STEM programs; fire truck water-spray celebration; flashing lights at crosswalks; student community service; traffic study between schools.

Community Roots: LGBTQ support group; neighborhood cleanup/fix-up teams; more food donation options; historic neighborhood preservation; volunteer hub.

Government: Highway 34 pedestrian crossing; recycling center; “Welcome to Red Oak” guide; animal shelter; “Red Oak Pride” cleanup initiative.

Recreation & Entertainment: Jazz on the Green-type events; community choir; family bike rides; expanded park programming; more soccer fields; free tennis/pickleball; splash pad; outdoor games; senior center; alcohol-free events.

Formation of Heart & Soul Stewards.

Ongoing coordination and monitoring of 35 priority action ideas.

Public online resource listing all action ideas, leads, and progress updates.

Continued fundraising through donations and local support.

Ongoing invitation to residents: learn, volunteer, donate, and help implement.

Three keywords: Educate – Celebrate – Activate.

This is not the end of a project, but the beginning of putting the plan into action.