Early in 2002, ten teams of Boron Operations employees set out to interview more than 30 local business, school, church and civic authorities. Teams asked these leaders to prioritize a list of 14 issues ranging from education and infrastructure to crime and unemployment. To augment these interviews, Borax asked more than 300 employees to weigh in on those same issues through a written survey. Of these, 65 filled out the survey for a response rate of 22 percent. Finally, Borax's assessment team conducted a focus group with 20 students from the local high school.

Survey and interview results were compiled. The most striking finding was that every group that took part in the assessment - community leaders, employees and students - identified the same four issues as the most critical: drug and alcohol abuse, attracting new business to the area, unemployment and the lack of youth activities.

Borax and Kern County officials invited the entire community to review the results and determine action plans, and drew more than 50 residents. County experts facilitated - asking people to form committees to address each of the priority issues, and to brainstorm possible solutions. The majority of participants volunteered to work with the County and Borax to translate these solutions into realities.

While there's nothing earth-shattering about people talking to each other about their problems, it was the first time those problems were collectively defined, and the first time everyone who could contribute to solving those problems - the County, the company and the community members themselves - got together to create a plan.

Is the momentum still going? In the case of the committees focusing on the issues of drug and alcohol abuse and unemployment, the answer is no: they have yet to meet formally. The group working to improve the lack of youth activities has met twice. But the committee formed to attract new business meets monthly and reports its progress through its monthly newsletter, The Boron Way. This committee's focus has expanded from attracting new business, to assisting existing business as well.

Early in 2004, committee members representing all four issues formed a formal non-profit organization, the Amargo Dulce Collaborative. Attaining non-profit status will enable them to acquire funding for specific projects and to consolidate and coordinate efforts. The organization will give Borax a viable partner to work with to ensure that its community support is channeled into the issues that matter most to its community. In the meantime, results of the Community Needs Assessment helped us define priorities, and set a target to align 75 percent of our cash, time and in-kind donations to address issues the community told us were important.