What is Community Resiliance?

† RESILIENCE ¢

A community’s ability to withstand a

shock outside of its control. Examples

include: the collapse of the economy

due to external speculation;

fluctuating oil prices due to changing

demand and peak oil; drought,

floods, food shortages, rising sea

levels due to climate change; or an

influx of refugees.

The Foothills regions has lived through many shocks in the past, including the most recent migration of the furniture and textiles industry to other countries and the dramatic rise in gas prices, which effects not only our transportation costs, but also prices on foods, clothing and other products that are shipped in from other states or countries.

We are a strong people. Many of our parents and grandparents knew what it meant to buckle down and get through tough time. We have a unique opportunity to not just survive difficulties, but Transition and thrive together in a future that we can forge for ourselves.

We have amazing waterways, beautiful trees and great land for growing food. We have a large population of hard working people who have gone without work or the ability to provide for themselves or their families. We have business owners committed to our towns of Hickory, Granite Falls, Lenoir, Newton, Hudson, who live as our neighbors and share our concern for the future. News and television might make you think it's all about a vote in the White House or in Congress, but you and I, neighbors and friends, are the people who define this region far more than any outside entity. We can work together, with our local officials, our neighbors, with each other to plan and dig in, literally and figuratively, to forge a resilient Foothills Region for ourselves now and for the next generation.

We have so much to be thankful for, so many resources, so much in common. We are on the cusp of a great awakening to each other.