> The centerpiece of the summit, and where you’ll find social capital bursting at the seams, is "Planning Day." That’s when up to 100 citizens meet, listen to ideas for community improvement, and after hearing out numerous proposals, select two or three ideas for support. As Doug told me, food is among the community’s top concerns. Out of the 20 initiatives selected by the summit since its start in 2007, about half were related to food, including a composting project, citywide fruit-tree planting, a community kitchen, large gardens, the farmers’ market, a Fish to School project and even a community food assessment.
By the end of Planning Day, the initiatives are selected and groups are formed to shepherd them to success. Each initiative group receives start-up funds (a modest amount of perhaps $2,000 each) as well as support from the Sitka Health Summit. Since 2007, the vast majority of the initiatives were characterized as highly successful, though a handful have failed or simply never got off the ground. Win or lose, the event brings people together to launch a number of small but transformative projects that have probably touched every member of the community.