University News
IIRA's MAPPING the Future of Your Community Assists Rural Towns with Development Projects
April 10, 2015
MACOMB, IL — "...just a splash, and it is gone; but there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on..." That's how poet Laureate James W. Foley once characterized the significance of dropping a pebble in the water.
As many of the communities assisted by Western Illinois University's Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs' MAPPING the Future of Your Community program have discovered, the impact of seemingly small ventures can sometimes result in the greatest outcomes. The program has been guiding rural communities toward great outcomes for more than 20 years.
According to Program Manager Gisele Hamm, the program has provided assistance to more than 120 communities throughout the years. She said one of most rewarding outcomes from the program occurs when members of a community contact the program because they have seen the results experienced by another MAPPING community.
"One of my most memorable experiences was a request for assistance after a resident of Altamont had been driving regularly through the town of Dieterich to visit his family and began to note the changes taking place in that community," Hamm explained. "Upon inquiry, he discovered the MAPPING program was the catalyst for the improvements he had been witnessing in Dietrich."
Hamm noted the MAPPING the Future of Your Community program offers these communities a way to pull together and pull the community "up," often with very little—beyond their own willingness to roll up their sleeves and get to work.
"When we worked with Dieterich, one of the projects was a letter-writing campaign to improve the cell phone service in the area. The appeal was successful, resulting in a cell tower installation provided from Verizon," she added.
The residents of small communities often don't know where to begin, Hamm said, but through the visioning and planning process offered by the MAPPING program, they can enhance their capacities and find revenue streams that will grow their communities and economies, just by getting organized and working together as a team.
"With our guidance, they find they can garner very positive results," she added.
Many of the projects initiated through the MAPPING process provide the beginning of efforts that are sustainable in the long term, including support for local businesses, fundraisers, citywide cleanup efforts and downtown improvements, which not only make the community more attractive to the residents, but may also serve to attract visitors to shop, dine and to enjoy the activities and recreational opportunities. When community members are encouraged to envision the possibilities, their creativity is impressive, Hamm said.
"The community of Stewardson received a building through a donation, and the business committee, which was formed through the MAPPING process, then completed renovations and put it up for sale. They also tore down a deteriorated building, but salvaged the historical facade and repurposed it for use on another of their main street buildings," she noted.
Hamm also said the program focuses on utilizing private grant fund projects designed to improve rural communities, such as the grant offered through the State Farm Foundation that helped McLean to replace its emergency siren last year.
Martinsville is another great example of ingenuity that resulted in an award through the Linn Foundation, which will be added to the money raised by the community to build a community amphitheater.
"When capital funds are available, we also encourage and assist the communities to apply for those dollars. Many have benefited from substantial funding awards through USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grants [RBEG], IDOT Illinois Transportation, Enhancement Program [ITEP], the Community Development Assistance Program [CDAP], the Illinois Department of Natural Resources [IDNR] and other state-funded initiatives, such as the Main Street Program. Recreation, downtown beautification, transportation and regional and business development are areas we seek to improve, whether it is through private or public funds," Hamm explained.
To learn more about how the MAPPING program can assist your community, contact Hamm at (309) 298-4019 or visit the MAPPING program online at www.mappingthefuture.org.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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