In the summer of 2016, a series of conversations happened in the many communities of Door County. It was an effort to understand what our residents wanted as they age here. The Door County Community Foundation describes the project as not a strategic planning process or a means to an end goal, but rather an opportunity for the people of the community to come together and talk about what they wanted for Door County as they grow older. The summary that resulted has a wealth of information and was an inspiration to me to pursue all things aging in Door County and to strive to make it better.
The most telling result and ultimately a cornerstone of our mission and vision is the common theme of “connection”. We’ve boiled it down to these hopes and desires of Door County residents:
- Better infrastructure, connectivity and connection to services (online and real)
- Communicate better about available services
- Understand and access services when needed
- Connect to community with a sense of security (connect to each other for support and peace of mind)
- An intergenerational community (enjoy each other)
- Involvement of people (connect with their neighbors)
- Connect to each other and beyond Door County (housing, roads, internet, transportation)
- Identify mutual concerns that impact living and aging in Door County (examples – affordable housing, employment , transportation, internet access, etc.)
- Better understanding of issues by everyone (informed and engaged)
- Advocate for and enact government policies to support connectivity
The survey of October and the forums of November is intended to do a deep dive into how we age-in-place, and also to begin to address the needs for everyone in Door to be connected..to their municipality, their community and their neighbors. Together, we will make Door County not just a great place to visit. It will be a great place to fully engage living and age with ease.