By Lacey Mills
Who Knew Reno County?
There are rooms all across Reno County where important conversations are happening, often without fanfare, spotlights, or applause.
They are not glamorous meetings. They do not come with recognition or public praise. And most of the people sitting at those tables are not there because they want credit. They are there because they care.
It can be easy to forget that when a quick scroll through social media makes it seem like all we do as a community is point out what we do not have, why something will not work, or why an idea is terrible before it has even had a chance to breathe. The list can feel endless.
But that is not the full story of Reno County.
Another part of the story lives in spaces like the Reno County Childcare Task Force, a group that advocates for childcare while keeping parents and providers at the forefront. This group gives voice to daycare providers who struggle to make ends meet but continue showing up because they have a heart for serving families and young minds. Around the table are very different perspectives: parents, providers, employers, and community partners, all asking the same hard questions. How can we do better? How can we improve the system? How can we ensure that quality childcare is within reach of everyone? The work requires compromise, balance, and a willingness to listen so solutions reflect more than just one voice.
That same commitment shows up in Stepping Up, a group that meets every other month with a clear mission of reducing the number of people incarcerated due to mental illness. Around that table are people who come ready to share current challenges, listen to one another, and think creatively together about what could work better. The work is shaped by collaboration, not ownership, with ideas and small experiments discussed openly. Each person leaves committed to taking what was learned back into their own role. It is not flashy work, but it is necessary.
You will also find this quiet determination in the Unhoused Coalition, where community members from across sectors—nonprofit, business, and government—come together to discuss how our community reduces the number of individuals who are homeless while keeping every person affected in mind. From the individual who is unhoused, to business owners, to law enforcement, to the community as a whole, the goal is thoughtful progress. Ideas are shaped. Experiments are tried. Adjustments are made. The work only succeeds when all voices are heard and represented.
These groups do not seek the spotlight. They do not always get it right. But they show up anyway, working through disagreement, navigating limited resources, and pushing forward even when negativity is loud.
That matters.
It is easy to criticize from the sidelines. It is much harder to stay engaged, listen well, and keep moving forward when progress is slow and outcomes are uncertain. Yet that is exactly what so many people in Reno County are doing quietly, consistently, and without expectation of recognition.
Those are the people shaping our future. And even if they never ask to be seen, they deserve to be.
So maybe the next time frustration shows up, online or in conversation, we pause. Maybe we assume good intent. Maybe we remember that behind most efforts are real people trying to move this community forward the best way they know how.
Kindness does not mean lowering expectations. It simply means recognizing that progress is usually carried by people doing the work quietly, imperfectly, and with care.
Lacey Mills is the president and CEO of United Way of Reno County and can be reached at lmills@uwrenocounty.org.