What makes some communities great?
Some would say natural features, like mountains and oceans views.
Others might say that access to good health care or good jobs make for a great community.
The New Albany Community Foundation believes all residents of the community are neighbors and neighbors being connected is what makes for a great community.
Throughout its history, New Albany has been characterized as a place where people are friendly, and a place where neighbors care about one another. Caring about friends and neighbors is a community value.
As an example, since its inception, members of the New Albany Women's Network have provided meals to families at a time of need, whether it be related to an illness, death in the family or other challenging circumstances.
The same can be said of local churches and temples, through which neighbors help others.
So what binds a community together?
Certainly schools and places of worship help create a sense of community. But beyond that, we believe shared experiences bring people together.
Shared experiences, such as enriching lectures and quality performances at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts or health programs at the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany or educational opportunities at the New Albany branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. That's why the community foundation, through its generous donors, has supported the McCoy Center, Healthy New Albany and the Heit Center and the library.
In the coming years, we look forward to investing in a new outdoor amphitheater in New Albany. Like the library, McCoy Center and Heit Center, we believe the amphitheater will serve as a unique gathering place for the community.
It will be a place where such groups as the New Albany Symphony Orchestra, community chorus, community band, community dance companies, theater companies and school performance groups will be able to perform. Moreover, we anticipate that it will serve as a venue for such community events as Founders Day, the Fourth of July celebrations, Pelotonia and Honor RideOhio.
If you haven't yet seen the city's exciting plans for Rose Run Park, I encourage you to contact the city or the community foundation. Rose Run Park and the new Dublin-Granville Road corridor will transform New Albany, and the amphitheater is just one exciting piece of the overall plan.
Although the newly transformed town center undoubtedly will be beautiful, the profound benefit will be the way it attracts families, friends and neighbors to participate in a shared experience.
Keith Berend is chairman of the New Albany Community Foundation board of trustees and a fund donor for the community foundation.