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A $96,000 grant awarded to Western Illinois University's Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) will help small business in Illinois. The grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA-RD), will enable IIRA's Peace Corps Fellows (PCF) Program in Community Development to provide technical assistance to small business enterprise initiatives in participating Illinois rural communities. The grant award was presented Friday (Nov. 20) in Lanark, IL. L to R: Colleen Callahan, director for Illinois, USDA-RD; John Huggins, mayor, Lanark; Lexie Woodward, WIU PCF; Karen Mauldin-Curtis, program manager, WIU PCF Program in Community Development; Chris Merrett, director, IIRA at WIU; Trish Yeager, area specialist, USDA-RD; and Dwight Reynolds, area director, USDA-RD. Photo courtesy of Tom Kocal, editor, Prairie Advocate.
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USDA $96K Grant to Enable WIU IIRA's Peace Corps Fellows Program to Serve Small Business Enterprises in Rural IL

November 20, 2015

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MACOMB/LANARK, IL — A $96,000 grant recently awarded to Western Illinois University's Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) will help small business in Illinois. The grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA-RD), will enable IIRA's Peace Corps Fellows (PCF) Program in Community Development to provide technical assistance to small business enterprise initiatives in participating Illinois rural communities.

According to PCF Program Manager Karen Mauldin-Curtis, the USDA-RD funding, through its Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program, will enable returned Peace Corps volunteers, who are enrolled in WIU's PCF Program, to serve in full-time graduate internships in rural communities. In the communities, graduate students will lead and implement community and economic development projects. Participating communities in 2015-16 include include: Strasburg, Windsor, Findlay and Shelbyville in Shelby County; LaHarpe in Hancock County; Hillsboro in Montgomery County; and the Savanna Historical Society and Lanark, both in Carroll County.

"Through these efforts, at least 45 small businesses will be assisted and 10 full-time equivalent jobs will be created or retained in participating rural communities. The residents in Illinois rural communities realize small business development is critical to improving their economic situations; however, oftentimes, they do not have sufficient resources readily available to implement effective initiatives. Our program places graduate interns in communities that have demonstrated a need, devised a plan and are committed to moving forward with their goals. We greatly appreciate the USDA-RD's support and investment in the communities we serve," Mauldin-Curtis said.

"The use of this funding is the perfect example of the federal government helping meet needs identified by the residents in the communities and regions themselves. Then, combine the educational component, and you have 'people helping people who then help people.' It's not just a win, win—it's a win, win, win," added USDA-RD Director for Illinois Colleen Callahan.

Mauldin-Curtis noted Lanark is a great example of a rural community investing in its future. She said the community participated in IIRA's MAPPING the Future of Your Community program and has followed up with an internship for WIU Peace Corps Fellow Lexie Woodward.

"Lanark is experiencing an economic upturn with several new businesses opening recently," noted Lanark Mayor John Huggins. "We wanted to make sure this trend continues, but not at the expense of the existing businesses. We needed someone with the knowledge and resources to provide both recruitment and retention. Lexie has filled that role perfectly. We are grateful for the USDA-RD being one of the sponsors. Our small town has a tight budget to work with, and we would not have been able to afford to participate in the Peace Corps Fellows program without the USDA-RD's help."

Since 2010, with support from USDA-RD, WIU's Peace Corps Fellows have assisted 429 small businesses and helped create or retain 33 jobs in such participating Illinois communities as Rushville, Neoga, Petersburg and Durand. In Durand, the program was so successful, community officials created a position and hired their Peace Corps Fellow intern, Matt Wolf, to manage their community and economic development initiatives. Wolf is now the executive director for an initiative called "Durand Charm."

Because the application process to participate in the PCF Program is competitive, those communities that have participated in IIRA's strategic visioning and planning process, through MAPPING Program, are often better prepared to host a Fellow, Mauldin-Curtis said.

"The process mobilizes residents and lays the foundation for a Peace Corps Fellow to assist with implementation of the community's action plan and build local capacity to sustain efforts beyond the internship. The MAPPING Program staff members serve as ongoing resources to Peace Corps Fellows and their host communities, as well," she added.

IIRA Director Chris Merrett noted the partnership among Western, the IIRA and the USDA-RG is a substantial benefit for rural communities in Illinois.

"It enables a state-based organization, such as the IIRA, to take funding from far-away Washington, D.C., and deploy these funds in a meaningful way that takes into consideration the needs and wishes of residents in local communities."

For more information, contact Mauldin-Curtis at (309) 298-2706 or via email at K-Mauldin-Curtis@wiu.edu.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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