From Mid-South RC&D
New Community Projects
ELMORE COUNTY, Ala.—The Mid-South RC&D Council awarded a total of $81,140.67 to grantees in Elmore County to help meet the local needs of the community with Senator Will Barfoot and Representative Troy Stubbs visiting to congratulate parties on their positive impact.
“The Mid-South RC&D Council does a great job of identifying worthwhile projects that help communities,” said Senator Will Barfoot, “As a taxpayer myself, one of the easy things we do up there is fund RC&D programs here and throughout the state.”
Mid-South is one of nine RC&D Councils that serves the state of Alabama, providing grants to other nonprofits, schools, and subunits/units of government. It supports communities in these eight counties: Autauga, Bullock, Butler, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon and Montgomery counties.
Eight projects were celebrated throughout Elmore County. The first stop of the tour was hosted by the Wetumpka Depot Players at the theater where new production equipment was provided.
“The Penguin Project is very dear to all of us and supported by the Mid-South RC&D Council,” said Kristy Meanor, Artistic Director, “It is our special needs theater outreach where we pair them with a nondisabled peer mentor. Together the pairs walk through the steps of putting a show together —and the show is wonderful, but what mostly develops is an outstanding relationship between these kids.”
The tour then traveled to the Town of Eclectic’s Panther Palace Park. The park is a popular place for the community to gather and is protected by security equipment funded by Mid-South.
The final stop of the tour brought everyone to Eclectic Middle School to view the new electronic sign and hear from Tracy Wright with the Elmore Young Engineers program. The program encourages students to apply STEM concepts using hands-on activities.
“Anytime that I can put an application on top of STEM concepts is a good thing for me because math and science kind of bears a bad name to so many parents, who then pass that down to their kids. When you put STEM in front of them and its hands on, it evens the playing field,” said Wright.
Elmore County’s Volunteer Fire Departments and City of Tallassee were also supported by Mid-South. Redland received new hoses; Holtville/Slapout received water rescue equipment; and Tallassee received a special washer and extractor for their fire gear. The City of Tallassee was awarded grant money to use towards the beautification of the Downtown area.
For more information, contact Katie Smith at 334-830-0178 or [email protected]
