Mission Statement
We exist to spark enthusiasm and foster a greater sense of pride in our rural community. Our intention is to enhance the downtown atmosphere by building upon current and potential assets to implement a well-connected, creative, and inclusive downtown corridor.
Revitalization Projects
We set goals and work together to accomplish revitalization projects within our downtown corridor & on Main Street. This adds curb appeal and an inviting atmosphere to welcome more people & foot traffic to Colfax. The more people who stop and stroll the town the better our local businesses are going to do and in turn, help to support a better local economy. In order to have a healthy community, you need to have a healthy Downtown.
We are advocates for our Downtown Corridor as well as Main Street
We advocate by working to fill our empty storefronts, provide support to our new & established businesses, collect data, and work with the Washington Main Street Program to enhance and strengthen Colfax. We are passionate about doing beautification projects, improving the aesthetic of Colfax’s Main St, historical preservation efforts, and drawing in more foot traffic to sustain Colfax and all of our local businesses within our corridor & on Main Street.
We are a 501(C)3 Non-Profit Organization that works alongside passionate people who share the same enthusiasm for our mission.
We welcome volunteers, students, local entities, businesses, investors, etc. to work alongside us to promote positive and lasting change on our Main St and downtown corridor. We advocate on a city and state level to ensure our community thrives. Our Executive Director attends training and conferences locally and across the state to gain knowledge, ideas, and resources so that we can do our absolute best to be a vital resource within our community. We aim for community connection and success not only for our current generations but also for the future of our next generations.
Why community connection matter to us!
Without connections, we would not be able to do the work that we do. Connections create ties to your community in so many different aspects. If your community is connected it makes people feel like they belong. It creates a strong sense of pride in the place you live. Environment is such an underrated component in a community. Our Main St & Downtown Corridor is such a huge part of our environment. Most of us who live in Colfax travel on Main St daily. It’s how we get our kids to school, go to the grocery store, get to and from work, etc. If you don’t feel good about your environment aka the place you “do life” how likely are you to feel connected and hopeful about your community?
Beautification Projects
Downtown beautification is a huge part of what we do. Have you ever heard the term -first impressions are everything? Did you know our Main St sees an average of 10,000 cars a day? Or that the Palouse is one of the most photographed regions in the USA? It’s not just about creating a prettier place. It’s about captivating a larger audience to sustain our local businesses, attracting more investors and entrepreneur interest, maintaining our historic buildings, and so much more. These efforts all tie into creating a greater sense of place and community pride. We want people to be able to stroll their kids or grandkids around town and be proud that they were raised here. We want them to be able to share stories of what shops or restaurants they used to shop and eat at as
kids. We want people to be able to talk about the thriving community it once was and how we’ve come together to ensure a brighter future for Colfax as caring members of this community.
Project Accomplishments
- Gained an awesome Main St. office location
- Rural Regeneration Project - $98,500 in facade grants & beautification efforts
- Main St Flower Project has been a huge success! We currently have 24 pots out on Main St and plan to grow this project each year.
- Are in the planning process of working with our schools to get more of our youth involved in making Colfax a better place through various programs & opportunities.
Our youth is important and here's why!
We don’t feel there is enough awareness surrounding kids being “Stakeholders” in their community. Over time we hope to change this perspective. Just because kids can’t provide monetary compensation or purchase properties, etc. doesn’t mean they can’t invest in their community. They are the future of Colfax and they should be a part of what’s happening here. They have fresh ideas, they know the trends, and they can make a difference whether it’s big or small. If you were born or raised here you will have a connection to this place. Some will be good and some will be bad. We won’t be able to win them all. However, we can and will help spread awareness and create partnerships and projects that involve more of our youth. They need to understand that taking a broom and cleaning up Main St is important and an investment in our community. Attending brainstorming sessions with our community leaders or sharing thoughts on how we can do better together is important and an investment in this community. Our youth is so important and we will prioritize their involvement to create connections within our community.
