Rural Connections Blog

Fulfilling the Biden Administration's mission to improve access to federal resources through capacity building and technical assistance, the USDA Rural Development Puerto Rico Rural Partners Network held the 1st Meeting of Collaborators on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, titled For an Ecosystem to Support the Third Sector.  

Nestled in Water Valley, Mississippi, a small rural town in Yalobusha County with a population 3,380, is an old-fashioned grocery store that has benefited from the Rural Partners Network (RPN) efforts of improving how the federal government serves rural communities that traditionally face challenges accessing government programs and resources. 

Jim Spencer, Executive Director of the Bluefield West Virginia Economic Development Authority (BEDA), has a vision. He comes from a background in community planning and economic development and spent decades as a county administrator in neighboring Virginia before joining BEDA. He has been a stakeholder and partner of the Southern West Virginia Community Network since its inception. His vision is that communities around the Southern West Virginia Community Network will tap into the resources that his organization has created. With this vision in mind, BEDA recently hosted a tour for local Rural Development staff to highlight how the organization is already making a difference in West Virginia communities. 

Housing has become a critical issue within rural West Virginia communities and it’s vital that we partner together to help find solutions. The Rural Partners Network has been working with the town of Gassaway and the Gassaway Area Improvement Council on multiple projects to improve the area and make a direct impact for the community members. Helping to find solutions was the purpose behind a free housing seminar held on March 5, 2024, by the West Virginia Pioneer Community Network in partnership with the Gassaway Area Improvement Council and the town of Gassaway.

During the seminar, representatives from USDA Rural Development and the West Virginia Housing Development Fund provided valuable insights into various housing programs available. Attendees learned about different funding options, eligibility criteria, and the application process. The participants were afforded the opportunity to ask questions of all the panelists. 

Access to childcare is a national challenge for rural communities, and West Virginia is no different. In the RPN’s Southern West Virginia Community Network (SWVCN) counties, 43 percent of children under the age of 6 who need childcare do not have access to it.