A grassroots community group has formed in the town of Aurora with the purpose of addressing and finding solutions to the many issues the town is facing.

People for a Better Aurora/Richland Township, a grassroots community group made up of the area’s citizens, was formed in December to identify and implement solutions for the growth and long-term prosperity of the town and the township, according to Eve Hemby, community organizer and project director for Lydia’s House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to seeing communities grow children, strengthen families and change neighborhoods.

Hemby said the group was formed due to many issues the town is facing such as the lack of a grocery store due to the closing of Piggly Wiggly, the town’s only store, in April 2015, as well as the need for roads to be paved, a downtown with busted storefront windows and condemned houses throughout the town, to name a few.

“These are things we know and see,” Hemby said. “We also know of people who want to start businesses in the town but give up way too soon. We know people who need jobs but have to travel miles to find work making it easier for them to relocate elsewhere rather than enjoying the gift of living in their own community. However, in spite of all these things, what is most important is that we know we have the power to change what we see. Together, we can find information that can get us a grocery store. Together, we can identify resources and support systems that will allow for businesses to come into our community and create jobs. Together, we can make things better with access to the right information and tools.”

Hemby said Lydia’s House has agreed to support the group by providing it with in-kind funding for the launch of a website to disseminate information, Hemby’s part-time employment to coordinate volunteer activities and a number of external partnerships and resources that can further growth for the area. The website was launched recently and Hemby has been working diligently to organize community organizations and residents for the mission, she said.

Lydia’s House also pitched a request to the Town of Aurora for the community group to host meetings at the Aurora Community Center, to which the town’s commissioners and other leaders voted unanimously for the organization to use the center free of charge, Hemby said.

Moving forward in spring, the N.C. Department of Commerce has agreed to provide the community with technical assistance by facilitating meetings that will allow the group to create its own plan of action towards revitalizing the community, Hemby said.

“Not only will this assistance (from Dept. of Commerce) allow us access to have a comprehensive economic development plan facilitate by state leaders, but it will demonstrate that our community is invested and wanting to see resources for other projects.”

Hemby said local residents can get involved by providing the group with contact information of Richland Township residents, regularly visit the website for upcoming community events and activities and attend the monthly meetings held with the NC Dept. of Commerce. An announcement will soon be made, notifying residents of the first of the meetings.

“It is imperative for us as a community to have a large turnout at the monthly meetings held with the NC Department of Commerce,” Hemby said. “The entire community needs to engage in this conversation as it will provide us with direction on how to best address the economic issues in our community and stimulate growth. The information gathered from these meetings could lead us to receiving additional resources from everything to the revitalization of our downtown area buildings to the expansion of social services for our elderly population.”

On Jan. 19 at 7 p.m., the Hazel W. Guilford Memorial Library in Aurora, which is part of the BHM Regional Library system, will host a community meeting to bring civic organizations and churches together to spotlight scheduled activities and create a forum for communication between them to help support each other and get on the same page about moving the town in the right direction, according to Hemby.

For more information, visit peopleforabetteraurorarichlandtownship.com or contact Eve Hemby at evehemby@lhndc.org.