McKinney community leaders including Mayor George Fuller, MISD Superintendent Dr. Rick  McDaniel, McKinney Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lisa Hermes, Wells Group  founder Rick Wells, and others are excited to announce the official formation of a new  community collaboration called One Heart McKinney (OHM), with the Executive Director role to  be filled by Scott Elliott, current Executive Director at Community Lifeline Center. 

“The informal One Heart McKinney collaboration initially formed in March 2020 as a response  to the early COVID crisis, when leaders from across McKinney came together on a weekly basis  to assess current needs, and rally resources to address those needs,” said McKinney Mayor  George Fuller.

In the last year and a half, the group raised and distributed almost $200k in grants to support  this mission. 

“The initial group of leaders included representatives from McKinney city government,  businesses, MISD, first responders and law enforcement, nonprofits, and faith communities,”  continued Fuller. “Based on the trust that was built through this collaborative experience, the  group decided to continue working together in a more formalized manner to coordinate those  seeking to address on-going community needs, as well as to remain mobilized for future crises  that occur.” 

“The current OHM effort will focus on 5 core needs to maximize well-being in daily life,  including food and hygiene; health, including physical, mental, and spiritual; housing; economic  stability; and education,” said Paul Grimes, McKinney City Manager. “These 5 core needs were  initially identified in a 2019 study performed by The Institute for Urban Policy Research at the  University of Texas at Dallas, which was funded by the McKinney Alliance.”

Local organizations already committed to OHM include: Christ Fellowship, City of McKinney,  Community Lifeline Center, First McKinney Baptist Church, Hope Clinic, Hugs Café, Little Free  Pantry, Love Life Foundation, McKinney Chamber of Commerce, McKinney Fire Department, McKinney Independent School District, McKinney Police Department, Seed Project Foundation,  and Wells Group. 

On February 1, 2022, Scott Elliott, the current Executive Director of Community Lifeline Center  (CLC) will assume the role of Executive Director at OHM, to shape the organization’s initial  structure and lead the collaboration forward. Scott previously served on the McKinney City  Council for 4 years, and on the McKinney Community Development Board for four years. He has  extensive business experience in the corporate sector and startup environments. 

For more information about One Heart McKinney, or if your organization is interested in getting  involved, contact Scott Elliott at scott@oneheartmckinney.com. Follow along for updates at  www.oneheartMcKinney.com, Facebook or Instagram.