The Chippewa Valley Post provides news of area nonprofit organizations in order to increase public awareness of their missions and activities, and to provide information that otherwise might not be made available.
Our “6 of Substance” series is part of this effort. It presents answers from area nonprofit organizations, in their own words, to six questions about who they are and what they do. The responses are edited only for length, grammar and style concerns.
This series will be updated regularly to introduce Chippewa Valley residents to the many nonprofit organizations and people working to serve the needs of our area. If you have a favorite nonprofit organization that you’d like to see featured here, please let us know at cvpost@gmail.com.
Clear Vision Eau Claire
Who do you serve?
Clear Vision Eau Claire serves the Eau Claire community. We utilize a citizen engagement model based on the Public Achievement approach from the Center for Democracy and Citizenship. The Clear Vision model utilizes core civic problem-solving skills, including one-to-one interviews, mapping of power and interests, values house meetings, creation of public spaces, cutting issues, action statements, taking action and public evaluations. All of these core activities are conducted through a dynamic and iterative process.
How long have you been established in the Chippewa Valley?
Clear Vision Eau Claire was formed in 2007 with a mission to engage our community for the common good by preserving the quality of life, transforming the local economy, and empowering the individual.
What are the major issues you will be facing over the next 18 months?
In October 2016, Clear Vision launched its current project: the Eau Claire County Poverty Summit. The Poverty Summit is a citizen-led, multi-year, multi-generational initiative to identify and take action on issues related to poverty and income insecurity in Eau Claire County.
Aside from financial support, how can the Chippewa Valley Community support you?
By engaging in the process and participating in the Poverty Summit action teams. Also, by continuing to spread awareness of the Summit and the purpose of Clear Vision. Clear Vision has trained over 400 community members in the use of these core civic skills and facilitates annual empowerment summits to convene citizen work teams. Citizen work team formation centers around issues that community members have identified and have a strong self-interest in resolving.
Who are some of the key people in your organization?
Volunteer board members from the community who are focused on civic engagement.
What is the most important thing about your organization that people should know, but don’t?
Some community issues are exceedingly complex, and resolving those issues is beyond the capabilities of any single organization or person. Poverty is one such issue, one that touches a growing number of families and children in Eau Claire County. In response, Clear Vision launched its county-wide Poverty Summit in October, 2016. As noted above, the Eau Claire County Poverty Summit is a citizen-led public engagement and problem-solving project to identify and take action on issues related to poverty and income insecurity.
— by Sheng Xiong, Clear Vision Eau Claire board member & Poverty Summit Co-Chair
If you would like more information about Clear Vision Eau Claire, visit www.clearvisioneauclaire.org.
To see earlier “6 of Substance” listings, click here for the Archives.
To download a copy of the “6 of Substance” questionnaire, click here.
Note: Sheng Xiong is also a member of the CVPost board.