Governor Kelly Announces 14 Grant Recipients for Rural Champions Program

Governor Laura Kelly announced today the 14 grant recipients of the Rural Champions program’s second cohort. The selected Rural Champions will join a growing statewide network of grassroots individuals tackling critical projects in their respective rural communities.

“Since day one, my administration has been focused on the needs of our rural communities and the quality of life in every region of the state,” ローラ・ケリー知事は次のように述べた。. “Creating the Office of Rural Prosperity was only the beginning of our support for rural Kansans and their needs. By developing the Rural Champions program, we are assisting communities to find local solutions to specific local challenges.”

Inspired by a Kansas Sampler Foundation レポート, the Office of Rural Prosperity, in collaboration with the Patterson Family Foundation, created the Rural Champions program as a way for rural communities to move the needle in areas where a lack of capital or other resources hinders necessary progress. The Rural Champions program provides a one-year wage stipend of $20,800 to each community, along with training and resources. Communities also will receive up to $25,000 at the end of the year to move into the implementation phase of their projects.

“The diverse challenges rural communities face are much easier to resolve when you have an individual specifically dedicated to their particular issues, which is why the innovative Rural Champions program is so important,” デビッド・トーランド副知事兼商務長官は次のように述べた。. “Investing in our rural communities means investing in our people, which benefits the entire state and elevates their towns in ways that might otherwise not be possible.”

The 2024-25 Rural Champions include:

組織	コミュニティ	Project area(s)
Cardinal Community Foundation	ネマハ郡	Community/Economic Development
シャイアン地域開発公社	シャイアン	住宅
City of Herington and CVB	ヘリントン	Downtown Revitalization
コマンチ郡経済開発	コマンチ郡	Grant Writing/ ED Regionalization
Grinnell-Promoting Pride & Progress	グリネル	Downtown Revitalization
Harvey County United Way	ハーヴェイ郡	育児
Healthy Bourbon County Action Team	ブロンソン	Placemaking/ Recreation
ホッジマン郡経済開発	ホッジマン郡	住宅
Lane County Community Foundation	ダイトン	Food Access-Rural Grocery
Legacy Regional Community Foundation	カウリー郡	Food Access
ルックス郡ヘルスケア財団	ルックス郡	Workforce Recruitment
スタッフォード郡経済開発	スタッフォード郡	育児
The Building Community	フレドニア	Community/Economic Development
United Way of the Flint Hills	エンポリア	Homelessness

“The first round of Rural Champions provided a great opportunity for progress and impact in the communities and organization. We again received many outstanding applications — making the selection of these 14 projects very competitive,” 地方繁栄局のトリシャ・パードン局長は言う。 “We are excited to continue the development of the program and add to our network of learning with the new group of Rural Champions.”

Rural Champions will work with the Office of Rural Prosperity through project completion. At that time, information will again be compiled in the form of guidebooks to add to the library of projects and be made available to provide learning and support to additional communities. More information on the Rural Champions program is available これ. The guidebooks developed by the first cohort of Champions are available to review これ.