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Thrive Union asks Indian Trail to join countywide anti-poverty collaboration
Summary
Keith Adams of Common Heart presented Thrive Union's findings on stagnant upward mobility in Union County, cited local indicators of rising food insecurity, and asked the town to join the collaborative (membership $300) and participate in coordinated efforts to improve economic mobility.
Keith Adams, a coordinator with Common Heart and a founder of the Thrive Union collaborative, told the Indian Trail Town Council on Oct. 30 that Union County has shown no measurable improvement in upward mobility since a 2013 study and that local indicators of need are rising.
"Thrive Union is a collaboration here in Union County," Adams said, describing the network of nonprofits, social services and community members that began organizing in late 2018 to address poverty, food insecurity and barriers to economic mobility. He asked Indian Trail to consider institutional membership in the collaborative and to participate in its strategic plan and projects.
Adams cited a regional Chetty study and local research showing that Union County lagged peer counties on improvements in upward mobility and said the collaboration formed to coordinate services across food pantries, shelters and workforce groups. Adams told council that the county's food-insecurity rate rose from about 7.5% to 11.9% and argued that coordinated engagement with businesses, health systems and nonprofits was necessary to address the problem.
He outlined Thrive Union's near-term work: creating shared definitions, focusing on pilot projects, and expanding membership. "We are seeking to do with Thrive Union," Adams said, describing a strategic plan developed for the coming year. He explained membership levels and requested that Indian Trail consider a $300 municipal membership (the same fee paid by the nonprofit Common Heart) to be a formal partner in the collaborative.
Adams told council that the organization meets at noon on the third Wednesday of each month at the Union County DSS conference center in Monroe and that information is available at thriveunionnc.org and via email at thriveunionnc@gmail.com. He said Thrive Union welcomes residents, business leaders and government representatives to participate in working groups.
Councilmembers thanked Adams for the presentation and said no formal decision would be made that night. Adams said his goal was to raise awareness and encourage Indian Trail to join and support collaborative efforts to improve upward mobility across the county.
Looking ahead, Adams said Thrive Union plans to continue outreach to businesses and to involve people with lived experience in planning. Council did not vote on the request during the Oct. 30 meeting.
