Covington’s 19 diverse neighborhoods are buzzing with a renewed energy not seen in decades. For the past several months, Soapbox has strived to capture that spirit of progress and renewal through an embedded, 12-story neighborhood series called On the Ground: Covington. (Read all 12 stories here.)

Throughout the series, we talked with business owners, educators, civic leaders, public artists, restaurateurs and everyday citizens to understand the revitalization that, while in the works for more than 40 years, has reached an apex in just the last five.

We explored Covington’s range of diverse neighborhoods, from picturesque Mainstrasse to the burgeoning Pike Street arts corridor and scrappier West Side area — seeing a resurgence all its own, thanks to the hard work of organizations like the Center for Great Neighborhoods, which continues to bring new business and residential opportunities to the parts of Covington that need them most.

On Oct. 21, Soapbox invites all who share this passion for supporting Covington’s ongoing success to join us for Building a Better Covington: But First, Coffee. The free event will take place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Hellmann Creative Center, the Center's West Side headquarters (321 W. MLK/12th Street).

Attendees will enjoy coffee and pastries from a variety of Covington-based vendors, including Covington Coffee Company, Lil’s Bagels and Moonrise Doughnuts, with an agenda as follows:

• 9:30: Networking with refreshments
• 10:00: Welcome from co-hosts, Soapbox Media and The Center for Great Neighborhoods
• 10:05: Meet the OTG team and contributing community members
• 10:10 to 10:20: Screening of “Covington On the Rise”
• 10:20 to 11:10: Open-mic-style community conversation led by representatives from The Center for Great Neighborhoods
• 11:15 to 11:30: Wrap-up/final networking

The video takes a look at Covington through the eyes of some of its most passionate advocates — appointed leaders as well as everyday residents who have been empowered by citywide opportunities and programming. We learn that while Covington’s overall outlook is brighter than ever, some challenging questions still remain. Among them:

• What forthcoming changes are Covington residents and leaders most excited for?
• How has Covington’s relationship with neighboring NKY and Cincinnati changed?
• How can we connect Covington’s thriving riverfront with its southern areas?
• Are Covington’s existing programs and opportunities visible/accessible enough?
• Can leaders unify around common challenges like poverty in education, job creation, transportation and the regional opioid epidemic?

RSVP here to join the discussion and share your ideas for Building a Better Covington: But First, Coffee on Oct. 21 at the Hellmann Creative Center. On behalf of Soapbox and the On the Ground team, we look forward to seeing you there!

The Northern Kentucky Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation is proud to underwrite Soapbox’s On the Ground: Covington series. The Northern Kentucky Fund believes that highlighting the successes and challenges in our community fosters effective dialog and action, creating communities where everyone can thrive. Other On the Ground partners include The Center for Great Neighborhoods, which is working collaboratively toward community transformation with series sponsor Place Matters partners LISC and United Way of Greater Cincinnati. Data and analysis is provided by The Economics Center.