Mt. Victory Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) is a small non-profit organization dedicating to quality of life in Mt. Victory, Ohio. Our motto is “PRIDE IS CATCHING, PASS IT ON!“
Ongoing community projects include Main & Taylor Street streetscape, Mt. Victory village park renovation, Henry Martin Memorial Park maintenance, supporting the Memorial Day Petroliana Antique Car Show, travel & tourism promotion and supporting our local economy. Meetings are quarterly and open to the public – everyone is welcome!
Where CIC started:
In 1993, the Mount Victory Community Development Association started in the basement of the Methodist Church. People attended the meeting because they recognized the need to volunteer for community improvements. The group established the motto “Pride is Catching, Pass it On”. Main goals were to generate pride, encourage volunteer efforts, increase outreach, participation and connection to citizens, and provide support and input to our elected town council members and county officials.
The group kept those initial guiding principles as their foundation while expanding efforts to include other aspects of community development such as building positive community relations, developing public spaces such as the Henry Martin Park, project fundraising, encouraging historic preservation, economic development, supporting local businesses and helping establish the village as a shopping destination. Below are some of the activities and successes over the years.
Today the group has a new set of challenges and goals and a change of name to Community Improvement Corporation to be inline with the legal non-profit name and set out 3 new areas of focus. The group hopes you will considering joining the CIC!
JOIN!
Become a member of the CIC, contact CIC President Shawn Detwiler at Shawnkapp@gmail.com. Members are asked to pay $25 per year . Quarterly meetings typically only last 1 hour. CIC also has a ‘satellite’ membership available for those unable to attend meetings but want to stay involved and volunteer when needed. Satellite members pay no dues and are not expected to attend meetings. They stay up on CIC’s progress via email and are willing to volunteer when asked.
Primary areas of focus & committee work include:
1. Support Civic Efforts – supporting our local government officials and town projects
…..Develop Veteran’s Banner Program
…..Resurfaced Village Park walking path
…..Village Park (fundraising and implementing MV Village Park Master Plan)
…..Henry Martin Memorial Park including mural (upkeep, maintenance)
…..Henry Martin Memorial Park event sign (keeping sign up to date with town notices)
…..Entrance signs (upkeep, maintenance)
…..Streetscape beautification including street light pole banners & street planters
…..Heritage preservation including archival library (encouraging the reuse & renovation of our historic building stock, managing archive library resources, continuously gathering stories, items and images related to Mt.Victory’s past.)
2. Support Village Economy – advocate for local businesses including promoting town as a shopping destination, encourage new business
…..Develop, publish and distribute marketing materials
…..Advocate for service side of local business (shop local)
…..Maintain website & use to promote village events
…..Advocate reuse of existing building stock to retain historic character (provide info resources for those seeking to renovate/reuse their historic propoerty)
…..Provide online resource links for business development assistance (continuously gather and manage online resource links for anyone in town seeking info on business development or enhancement.
3. Support Broader Community
…..Support and connect with other organizations (i.e. FFA, VFW, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Garden Clubs, church groups)
…..Connect with school
…..Support library programs
…..Maintain and promote Archival Library
…..Publish local news online
CIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ONGOING EFFORTS
…..Wrote & rec’d grant from Hardin County Foundation for Main & Taylor Street flower planters
…..Fundraising for MV Park improvements including playgrounds, walking path, shelter houses, and more
…..Implementing grant for local merchants to upgrade their ‘welcome mat’ experience
…..Purchased empty lot to develop Henry Martin Park through donation campaign, presented village with the deed
…..Requested and received funding for concrete walkway through HM Park
…..Funded design, build and erection of gazebo using volunteer labor and donations from residents and local businesses
…..Helped fund sidewalk around HM Park with help of local business.
…..Maintain Henry Martin train mural
…..Provide plantings in Henry Martin Park
…..Upkeep of gazebo in Henry Martin Park
…..Supplied flowers for street containers
…..Donations to God’s Lifeline
…..Decorations for Community Suppers
…..Fund Santa for Christmas Open Houses
…..Donate to Village for lighting Christmas display
…..Provide HM Park Christmas decorations
…..Fundraise and install Christmas street decorations
…..Worked with FFA on town decorations and banners
…..Design, fund fabrication and installation of streetscape banners for downtown
…..Design, published and distribute The Flag newsletter
…..Published Town Directory of retail and business services
…..Support village businesses by encouraging residents to spend locally
…..Designed brochures for downtown businesses
…..Promote village as a destination for antique & craft shopping
…..Provide ongoing public educational speaking invitations to professionals in order to educate and inform organization and residents
…..Host community development specialists from Downtown Ohio Inc. to speaks on value of neighborhood improvements
…..Design & fund fabrication of North and South entrance signs
…..Maintained entrance sign landscaping
…..Wrote and received grant for technical assistance to place MV Historic District on National Register of Historic Places
…..Raised funds and implement historic corporate marker
…..Organize tree care workshops
…..Sponsor Memorial Day Antique Car Show at town park
…..Promoted restoration and reuse of buildings and homes
…..Members involved in architectural renovation & restoration of seven buildings including residential & mixed use
…..Members assisted locating buyer for historic Mill to mothball for future development
…..Acknowledge resident’s efforts related to their home improvements
…..Sponsored, promoted, and coordinated past fundraising festivals including Harvest Fest and BBQ Bash
…..Hosted Ohio Photographers Shoot Out in Mt. Victory including gallery reception held in historic building under renovation.
…..Wrote, designed, published and sold Mt. Victory Women Cook cookbooks as fundraising effort
…..Wrote, designed, published Mount Victory Sesquisentennial history book.
…..Design, fabricate and sold sweatshirts and tee shirts promoting Mt. Victory
…..Ongoing fundraising for projects through raffle ticket sales
…..Requested, rec’d $15,000 of Buckeye Egg fines that were directed to village funding of street light fixtures for streetscape improvements
…..Sponsored & coordinate Dinner Theatre fundraiser
…..Assisting village with Village Park renovation project including surveying and hosting resident meeting for input.
…..Purchase and hang American flags
…..Coordinated with library to hold Open House in order to feature film developed by member
…..Wrote & received Honda grant for “Where in the World is MV” to develop Archival Library & provide school curriculm to local history education
…..Sponsored Easter Egg Hunts
…..Sponsored Kids Carnival fundraisers
…..Help MV Bank celebrate 75 years with cake & reception
…..Developed & maintain village website which was received award from Downtown Ohio
…..Received award for top community group in the county
…..Years of annual roadside cleanup from Plaza to Rush Creek
…..Worked with Garden Club to buy new streetscape flowerpots & flowers
…..Held fish fry fundraisers
…..Members helped maintain Town Park landscaping
…..Developed Welcome Wagon for new business people in town including providing OPEN flags & included ads in Flag newsletter
…..Provided council with ongoing project progress reports
…..Sold water at Chatauqua for fundraising efforts
…..Wrote and received ODNR grant for Village Park to help fund new restroom, walking path, lighting, etc.
…..Used as a model community development organization for Logan, Ohio