WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2018 – Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $291 million (PDF, 142 KB) to build or improve community infrastructure and essential services for 761,000 residents in 18 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
“Modern community facilities and infrastructure are key drivers of rural prosperity,” Hazlett said. “As partners to municipal, tribal and nonprofit leaders, we are investing in rural communities to ensure quality of life and economic opportunity now and for generations to come.”
USDA is investing in 41 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program. The funding helps rural small towns, cities and communities make infrastructure improvements and provide essential facilities such as schools, libraries, courthouses, public safety facilities, hospitals, colleges and day care centers. For example:
The projects announced today will help improve the quality of life in rural areas in Alaska, Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities program funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally and state-recognized Native American tribes. Applicants and projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less. Loan amounts have ranged from $10,000 to $165 million.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community services such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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Dear Friends,
Giving Tuesday was an exciting 24 hours, and we would like to thank every donor who helped us reach our goal. We are so encouraged by your support. As a small nonprofit press, we rely on your donations to help us publish voices for the land.
Each of our 2019 titles expands the conversation on public lands and engages readers with compelling and thought-provoking stories. Torrey House books serve as catalysts for community events and inspire connections between authors, readers, nonprofit partners, bookstores, libraries, and schools.
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Many thanks for thinking of us during this giving season.
With gratitude,
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SPEND NEW YEAR’S EVE IN VEGAS
WITH IMAGINE DRAGONS
Support the Tyler Robinson Foundation for a Chance to
Win the Ultimate Vegas VIP Experience
LAS VEGAS (November 28, 2018) – Want to party with a purpose this New Year’s Eve? You and three lucky friends could ring in 2019 in Vegas with the Imagine Dragons, all while helping children and their families battling a pediatric cancer diagnosis.
The Tyler Robinson Foundation (TRF), the nonprofit organization of the GRAMMYâ Award-winning, multiplatinum-selling band, is partnering with CrowdRise to send one lucky winner and three friends to see Imagine Dragons live at a special New Year’s Eve show at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. Imagine Dragons, TRF and CrowdRise have developed this special VIP experience in an effort to support TRF’s mission to strengthen families financially and emotionally as they cope with a pediatric cancer diagnosis by offsetting out-of-pocket life expenses.
For just a $10 donation to TRF, one lucky winner and three friends will have the chance to hang with Imagine Dragons in Vegas on New Year’s Eve. The VIP experience includes an exclusive pre-show VIP meet and greet with the band, flights for four, two nights at The Cosmopolitan and a $350 gift card to BOA/Sushi Roku.
Entering is easy, simply visit the CrowdRise website and make a donation. Every $10 donation earns one entry into the contest. To learn more and for all the rules and regulations visit CrowdRise.com. Must be 21 years of age or older to enter. Open only to U.S. and Canadian residents. Sweepstakes ends December 14, 2018 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.
“Every New Year’s Eve we reflect upon the year past, while looking forward to and celebrating the year ahead,” said Kim Gradisher, TRF executive director. “This date is the perfect occasion to party with a purpose – celebrating the turn of the clock with an amazing performance by Imagine Dragons while supporting our wonderful TRF families who exhibit courage and strength throughout the year. Your donation and chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Imagine Dragons and experience Vegas as a VIP, can make a difference and help our TRF families look to the future with hope.”
To learn more about how you can strengthen families financially and emotionally as they cope with the tragedy of a pediatric cancer diagnosis visit TRF.org.
The Tyler Robinson Foundation
The Tyler Robinson Foundation (TRF) helps strengthen families financially and emotionally as they cope with the tragedy of a pediatric cancer diagnosis by providing grants specifically to offset out-of-pocket life expenses. TRF is the nonprofit organization of the GRAMMY Award-winning band Imagine Dragons. TRF meets a critical need in communities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Each year, one in 285 children are diagnosed with cancer. While many pediatric cancer organizations focus on growing awareness and support for families with the physical and emotional toll of a diagnosis, the huge financial hardship cancer treatment places on families is rarely discussed. More than 85-percent of every dollar TRF raises goes right to families in need. For more information visit TRF.org.
Imagine Dragons
Formed in 2009, Imagine Dragons first revealed their limitless passion and genre-bending sensibilities with a series of independently released EPs that quickly earned a grassroots following. After hitmaking producer Alex Da Kid signed them to KIDinaKORNER/Interscope, the band made their major-label debut with Continued Silence, a 2012 EP featuring the double-platinum breakthrough single “It's Time.” With their full-length debut Night Visions arriving later that year, Imagine Dragons found themselves on a skyward trajectory that saw the album debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling more than five million copies worldwide. In addition, Night Visions’ diamond-selling single “Radioactive” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Rock chart and won Best Rock Performance at the 2014 Grammy Awards. From there, Imagine Dragons went on to see their 2015 sophomore album Smoke + Mirrors debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Released in June 2017, their third album EVOLVE was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album and spawned three No. 1 Alternative radio hits: “Believer,” which topped the Alternative radio chart for 12 weeks and also climbed to No. 3 at Top 40 radio; “Thunder,” which hit No. 1 at Top 40 and scored a Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Grammy nomination; and “Whatever It Takes,” which was Top 5 at Top 40 radio. The band recently released their fourth album, ORIGINS. The album includes the #1 single "Natural," which spent nine weeks at No. 1 on alternative radio.
