There is a new resource available for York County residents hoping to become skilled community activists.
Frances D. Butterfoss, Ph.D, recently donated copies of her latest book “Ignite: Getting Your Community Coalition ‘Fired Up’ for Change” to the York County Public Library.
“Ignite” is a user-friendly book that hopes to educate regular citizens on how to better serve volunteers and professionals ready to building and sustain area coalitions.
Butterfoss – who holds a doctorate in public health and is a nationally recognized expert on coalition building and organizational development – has more than 25 years of experience working with community action groups. She currently serves as president of Coalitions Work, a Hampton Roads-based consulting organization that serves groups across the country.
Butterfoss has another book, “Coalitions and Partnerships in Community Health,” a comprehensive guide she called the “bible of coalition building.”
To present the same information in a format that might be easier to digest, she wrote “Ignite.”
Butterfoss said the book is intended for the community volunteer trying to pull together a group effort to focus on an issue. That could center on a health issue, or instances of violence or bullying.
“Ignite” compares building a campfire to creating an action project. The analogy runs from examining why a campfire is needed, considering how to build it and the structure it will take, assessing the success and sustaining it for the future.
With tables and graphics to accompany the text, Butterfoss said the book can be read in a short time or used as a quick reference tool.
The lessons are geared to coalition building, but they can be applied to other types of local organizations.
Kevin Smith, director of the York County Public Library, said “Ignite” presents helpful ideas he can use when working the Library Foundation – a fundraising arm – and the service group, Friends of the York County Public Library.
A longtime York County resident, Butterfoss said the community runs on the strength of volunteers. While most have their hearts in the right place, they might need some practical advice to do work effectively and efficiently.
“I hope that this book has an impact and really makes people feel a little more comfortable and a little more grounded in how to do this work,” she said.
If that happens, then Butterfoss will feel like she has done her job.
For more information on the library, call 890-5125 or visit their website.
