Blog #3: Commonwealth Assets in My Community

In Ulysses we have quite a few commonwealth assets. Some of my favorites are Loaves & Fishes, The Historic Adobe Museum, Genesis Health, and The Main Artery. Loaves & Fishes is a local food bank that is Christian based. They collect donations from anyone in the community and distribute canned goods and other foods to people who don’t have access to other options. Another Food shed option is Genesis health which is Health and Food shed combined. They organize a Food distribution every month and they usually have a pretty good turnout. Genesis is all over southwest Kansas, they are a nonprofit organization that serves people no matter their faith, race, or color. Their funding comes from federal and state grants as well as donations from local churches and other organizations. They provide dental and medical clinics, health education, emergency care, immunizations and oral health screenings. It is a really good option for those in the community who have smaller incomes. The Main Artery would be a part of our Arts and Culture commonwealth. They have art classes for all ages focusing on many different subjects. They also have art from local artists and creators available for purchase. It gives many small artists opportunities to get their work out there. The Main Artery is connected to an antique shop as well and they are both owned by the same people. Lastly, we have the Historic Adobe Museum. They have a very large display of locally found arrow heads, and Native American scenes that show how life was on the plains. The building itself is made of adobe blocks from the 1930’s. There is also a hotel and school house replica right next door that you can tour. It gives you a glimpse at what life looked like in Ulysses in the 1900s. These are all amazing things that richen the community that I have loved growing up with, and the people who start these things up and keep them running are giving life and vivaciousness to our community!