Dozens of Union residents gathered at First Baptist Church Thursday night to share ideas and talk about how the community could help bring new opportunities to the town.
Jordan Robinson, who organized the meeting, said he and his wife, Loren, have been thinking about ways to revitalize Union for several years. After posting on Facebook last week to gauge interest in a community meeting, he said he was shocked by the response.
“I had no idea 200 people would be interested,” he said. “Me and my family are invested in Union. We love Union. We go to church here. I posted on Facebook to see who else shared my concerns.”
Industry and small businesses don’t last long in Union, Robinson said. While some residents do open new stores, he said they tend to go under within a few years. However, Robinson said he called Thursday’s meeting to talk about what could be done, not bash on the mistakes of the past.
“What I don’t want this to be is let’s bash on who’s led Union in the past,” he said.
Instead, he said the meeting was intended to start a conversation about the town, share ideas and come together to help each other. Bringing new business to Union, Robinson said, will take more than a post on Facebook.
“There’s a lot of people interested on Facebook; willing to support on Facebook,” he said. “But, it takes a bit more than Facebook to run a business.”
For Union to grow, Robinson said residents will need to put aside their individual agendas and work together through volunteer efforts, service work and support of local business owners.
It won’t make every resident a millionaire, he said. In fact, residents might put hours of free labor into a project that directly benefits someone else. However, he said growing the community will benefit everyone in the long run.
“I’ve been doing some research,” he said. “I’ve found industry isn’t what makes a community. Small business is the life blood of a community. If you have small businesses, industry will follow.”
Thursday’s meeting, Robinson said, was an opportunity for like-minded residents to get together, discuss what they’d like to see in Union and join together to support their community.
Tables of residents were tasked with brainstorming ideas for shops, services and events they would support coming to town. Then, each table shared their ideas with the rest of the group.
Among the ideas shared were a dry cleaner, a parts store, a coop or general store, a coffee shop and activities for children.
As ideas were shared, residents, both old and young, chimed in with advice, expertise and words of caution. For instance, a parts store, which all agreed would be an asset, would require a large amount of startup money. A coffee shop, while a great morning pit stop, would not be able to get by in a town the size of Union.
Some ideas were shot down due to excessive cost or lack of a market, while others were more heavily considered. At the end of the meeting, Robinson said the meeting had accomplished what it was intended to do: get people talking.
“I can’t call Nissan and get them to open up a plant in the old t-shirt factory, but I can talk to the community,” he said. “I just want to invest in my community. I just got tired of waiting.”
