This Pioneer Day, Cities Strong Foundation is honored to share a message that reflects the heart of our work.

Our Executive Director, Michael Parker, joined Board Chair Dan England and Vice Chair Scott Anderson in authoring a Deseret News opinion piece titled “The Barn We’re Still Raising.”

The op-ed reflects on the enduring pioneer tradition of the community barn raising—a powerful reminder that lasting progress has always been built through neighbors helping neighbors. While the challenges facing our communities have changed, the principle remains the same: strong neighborhoods are created when people, organizations, businesses, philanthropy, faith communities, and government work together around a shared purpose.

That belief is at the core of Cities Strong Foundation.

Across Utah, we’re helping strengthen communities by investing in neighborhood leadership, Community Resource Centers, educational opportunity, volunteerism, and public-private partnerships that improve quality of life where it matters most—close to home.

As we celebrate Pioneer Day, we invite you to take a few minutes to read the full op-ed and reflect on how each of us can play a role in building stronger communities for the next generation.

Read the full op-ed here:

The Barn We’re Still Raising
https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2026/07/24/the-barn-were-still-raising/

Thank you for being part of this work. Together, we’re still raising the barn.