Objectives

by Jane Marie Wix

This toolkit was produced by the WARN task force, in partnership with UK extension, to aid NWS offices and EM’s in better serving and understanding their Amish communities. Our vision is for this toolkit to hold a repository of information that any office can utilize to aid in their efforts of working with the Amish. But more so, we hope this starts the dialogue and ignites the effort to work with this historically underserved population. 

This project and the toolkit are still in their infancy, but this means it has a limitless amount of growing potential. We seek input, ideas, and methods from other NWS offices and affiliated entities as they work with their Amish populations. As you begin to work with your Amish populations, you may develop another idea or initiative that you can share with others…and this toolkit is the perfect repository to do this.

That being said, the one thing we do NOT want to do is try and change their lifestyle, but rather to build strong relationships and provide weather education and information that fits within their communities rules and regulations - ultimately building an Amish Weather Ready Nation.  

If we’ve learned anything so far as a taskforce, it’s that it is a huge initiative, but not an overnight success. It may take years, and that is okay. This is a grassroots effort, and we have to approach it as such. You may not be able to hold a meeting and just expect the Amish communities to show up and listen. You also can’t just post something on the internet, and expect them to see it, or teach them weather safety and expect that everyone is receiving your warnings. Rather, it is more effective to work with your EM’s and ANR Extension agents to create more one-on-one meetings with the elders and bishops in the community, establish relationships, and allow them to build your trust. See how you can meet their needs and get weather information to them, but stay within their regulations. It is all about word of mouth in the Amish community. Once you have built the trust of members of the community, and they see the value of this program, you will have much better success in getting others in the community involved as well. 

Another thing I’ve learned in my work and research is that no two Amish communities are the same, each having its own rules and restrictions. What may go over well in one community may not in the next. This is why going out into the community and building these relationships and getting to know the people is key…ultimately they are WONDERFUL people, so don’t be daunted!!! That being said, inevitably at some point, you are going to have someone who doesn’t see eye to eye with you, and resists your efforts. I've had a couple doors opened and then shut back in my face, and it was hard to swallow and understand for a while. But all we can do is be an encourager, not an enforcer. Once the seed is planted, you never know, that person or community may come back around and be more willing to embrace some of our initiatives later on, especially if they see a positive impact it’s having in another community. 

The toolkit is currently broken down into sub-folders, each housing an initiative that has been created within this project. Each of these sub-folders will also have an objectives document, much like this one, that describes the intent of this portion of the project. If ever you have another folder you want to create, or any additional information, please let us know and we can get that added!! Again, we want this to be a collective repository that grows with information over time.