RURAL HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FY2000 GRANTS
PROJECT SUMMARY
Alabama
The United Presbyterians of Wilcox County in Catherine, Alabama, will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development grant in the amount of $600,000. This innovative activities grant has two objectives: 1) to create a decentralized wetland sewage system in Wilcox County, Alabama and 2) to develop a new apartment complex. The complex will be developed through the renovation of an existing dormitory building and will provide housing for 8 families. The sewage system will have county-wide impact because it will serve as a model for other places in the County. The partners assisted this organizations are: International Corps on the Environment at Auburn University at Montgomery, University of South Alabama, the Center for Business and Economic Development, Alabama Department of Public Health, Resource Conservation and Development Corporation, Alabama Water Watch Association, the Department of Epidemiology and International Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham. In-kind leveraging resources total $554,731.
Contact Person: Jeanette S. McCall
Grantee Address: P. O. Box 354, Catherine, AL 36728
Telephone Number: 334-225-4452
The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, in Epes, Alabama, will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development grant in the amount of $237,800.
This is the second year that this organization will receive funding through the Rural Initiative. This Innovative Activities grant will aid the organization in expanding their services to the five counties in the Mississippi Delta area which are economically distressed. The organization is presently staffed and operational and beginning to deliver housing assistance to low income people in the rural target area. Building on the Federation's thirty year experience in community based development and work with state associations and self help groups, they propose to support a rural housing development staff, intensive housing development and a revolving loan fund for pre development costs for single family sub-divisions and multi-family housing. Organizations and Business who are committed to this effort are: The Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, Campaign for Human Development, Panola Land Buying Association, The Mississippi Association of Cooperatives Center and Greene/Sumter Enterprise Community. In-kind leverage for $50,000 is matched with this proposal.
Contact Person: John Zippert
Grantee Address: P. O. Box 95
Telephone Number: 205-652-9678
Upper Sand Mountain United Methodist Larger Parish, Inc. in Sylvania, Alabama, will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development grant in the amount of $600,000. The applicant has 16 years of experience in bringing improvements to the living conditions of rural Appalachia. Thirty-one solar energy efficient homes have been constructed in rural southern Appalachia. Over the next three years they anticipate constructing 12 more. These safe, affordable homes will be available to rural families living below or near the poverty level. The solar design will reduce utility costs and are in line with FEMA storm "safe rooms". The applicant has many partners involved in its efforts, such as the University of Alabama Rural Research and Planning (Tuscaloosa), University of Alabama Comprehensive Cancer (Birmingham); U. S. Department of Energy Grant; FEMA, Section High School, Jackson and Dekalb County Councils on Aging, Hospice of North Alabama, JTPA, Truck Driver Program, American Cancer Society, Department of Agriculture, Jackson County Primary Health Clinics, Sand Mountain Youth Center, Eva Comer Foundation, Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative and many others. Leveraging resources total $356,825 for this project.
Contact Person: Dorsey H. Walker
Grantee Address: 22465 Al Highway #75, Sylvania, AL 35988
Telephone Number: 256-638-2125
The Alabama Rural Heritage Foundation, Inc. in Thomaston, Alabama will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development grant in the amount of $100,000. This capacity building grant award will assist the Foundation in the creation of an incubator industry that will help low-income minority farmers and unskilled, uneducated and unemployed residents. The idea is to create an industry that is locally based in hopes that it will strengthen the economy and create a strong marketing niche for the community. This project will create a food processing plant using traditional recipes of the area. This strategy will provide a market for local farmers also to create jobs for unskilled residents in the processing phase. It is anticipated that this venture will attract new residents through a local and global marketing strategy that uses technology and the information highway. The project will merge the traditions of the area with the human resources and natural resources into a strong economic initiative. This is a collaborative effort with the Town of Thomaston, Design Corps, Auburn University, Volunteers of America, University of Alabama's Center for Economic Development, Robertson Banking Company and West Alabama Retail Cooperative. The Foundation proposes to leverage $168,000.
Contact Person: Carl Morgan
Grantee Address: P. O. Box 65, Thomaston, AL 36783
Telephone Number: 334-627-3650
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