On the Table is a one-day opportunity to gather around a table with friends, neighbors, colleagues (and potential new clientele) to share a meal and have a real conversation about what's important to us. On the Table conversations are meant to encourage everyone to think about the community issues they care about while adding a diversity of voices to the discussion of who we are, where we’re going and what we can do, together, to get there. The goal is to discover how each of us can join with the hundreds of people and organizations that make our community a better place for all.

Lexington held the first On the Table event in Kentucky, presented by Blue Grass Community Foundation, on March 15, 2017. Over 11,000 participants came together around 1,100 tables throughout Lexington to discuss not only what’s great about the city, but ways to make it even better.

This year the Franklin County Community Fund, in partnership with the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce, brought On the Table to Franklin County. The Franklin County Extension agents decided to not only offer our building as a Super Site but to host an open lunch meeting as well to hopefully attract new and diversified clientele. This would be an ideal way to gather community input from the grass roots level that drives extension. On the Table would also be an excellent avenue to hear from sources we have yet to reach and a way to build and maintain the neighborhoods and community we desire.

On the Table is a first-of-its-kind community engagement initiative in Franklin County. The conversations all the different groups and locations had will inform decision making about planning, development, investment, social services, rural lands, and the environment. By empowering 

people's voices, we will collectively help improve the quality of life in Frankfort and Franklin County.

The Franklin County Community Fund, a local, permanent, charitable endowment for the

perpetual benefit of Franklin County, was established by local residents in 2015. The Fund is governed by a local board of advisors. Franklin County Community Fund, in partnership with the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce, collaborated on this exciting initiative. Once they collect and aggregate all the notes, comments and surveys from the 53+ meetings (over 20 attended at the Extension office), this data will be available to the public and will help our extension office and programs, committees and boards plan and prepare. The exciting part is that we will be hearing from individuals that don’t know of or utilize extension.

On the Table conversations are meant to encourage everyone to think about the issues they care about while adding a diversity of voices to the discussion of who we are, where we’re going and what we can do, together, to get there. The goal is to discover how each of us can join with the hundreds of people and organizations that make our community a better place for all.

As an Extension Agent I had a previous program planned and couldn't attend. I sent out information to 31 volunteers with the 4-H program to encourage them to attend and promote the event. 3 of them did attend the event the day of. 

Submitted 6/11/18