Lyons Community Heart & Soul Seeking Ideas For the Future
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Several local individuals have been working together through the Lyons Community Heart & Soul group to gather information and data from the surrounding community to learn what is most important to those who make up the city of Lyons. Now, having collected feedback for over a year, the Core Team is looking for ideas of how to invest in four key aspects of the community.
Community Heart and Soul is a nonprofit organization that builds stronger, healthier, and more economically vibrant small cities and towns across the United States through a resident-driven process that engages the entire population of a town in identifying what they love most about their community, what future they want for it, and how to achieve it.
In 2024, volunteers came together to begin the initiative, as they not only received a grant from Community Heart & Soul, but received matched funding from Altamaha EMC as the group’s local electric membership cooperation affiliate. In addition to these funds, the City of Lyons, Lyons Development Authority, and Lyons Main Street have also contributed funding to help make this important community initiative possible.
Over the past two years, the Lyons Community Heart & Soul Core Team and volunteers have worked to collect data from citizens of every demographic to determine what they appreciated about the community and what their goals for the city’s future were. The group also collected stories from residents, business owners, students, civic leaders, and community organizations about their times in Lyons, as the group worked to not only understand the City’s history, but also common themes that have served as a foundation of the city’s identity throughout the decades.
In 2026, the working group continued to input data and determine common themes within answers. The group narrowed this data down to four areas that they feel best capture what is most important to the Lyons community, and drafted statements that explain each area. Those areas and statements are: Community Con nection (Unity, Sense of Belonging, Engagement, Culture, Values, Family Friendliness): We value meaningful connections that bridge generations and cultures and foster a sense of belonging for residents and visitors alike.
Community Care (Safety, Security, Compassion, Well-Being, Looking Out For Each Other): We take pride in prioritizing safety, security, and wellbeing for our neighbors with supportive and compassionate care.
Economic Growth (Economic Development, Agriculture, Tax Allocation District/Special Local Option Sales Tax, Industry, Stability, Downtown Development: We embrace economic growth by investing in industrial, agricultural, commercial, and downtown development while maintaining a smalltown feel.
Community Growth (Events, Public Investment, Service Organizations, Volunteerism, Future Planning for Youth): We celebrate community growth through volunteerism, service, future planning, and community events that create a stronger future for all who live, work, and visit here.
Having completed these statements and received community feedback on them, the Lyons Community Heart and Soul volunteers are now entering Phase 3 of the project, where they are working to collect ideas on things that community members would like to see in the future or any necessary changes to be made in these areas. These ideas will be developed into an action plan containing specific projects, programs, partnerships, and improvements that support these shared priorities.
Residents are encouraged to help shape the plan by sharing their ideas, identifying needs and opportunities, and suggesting ways to strengthen Lyons for future generations. Ideas may be shared at upcoming community events, through the Lyons Community Heart & Soul Facebook page, by calling (912) 526-6445, or by emailing lyonsmainstreet@ lyonsga.gov.
Every voice matters as Lyons works together to honor what makes the community special and build the future residents want to see.
