Children's Advocacy Center gets $300,000 for expansion

                                                                                                               

September 03, 2009 - MCMINNVILLE, Tenn. — Rural Development Area Director Joe Woody and Children's Advocacy Center Executive Director Anita Whitlock announced today an investment of $300,000 to expand the center and its services. The check presentation took place at the center.

 

"We desperately need additional space in order to meet the needs of the children who visit our center.  We are so excited about our new location and the services that we will now be able to offer," said Anita Whitlock, Executive Director for the Children's Advocacy Center for the 31st Judicial District.

 

The grant and loan will be used to purchase a 3,500 square foot building that will allow the center to expand its services by providing a private setting for children in need to be interviewed in a one-on-one safe setting.

 

"Safety and security for the children is paramount to our growth and expansion as a community," said Woody. "Thanks to the support of our Congressional Delegation, Rural Development has the resources to help provide that type of place locally."

 

"As a non-profit organization, our funds are very, very limited.  Moving to this new location would have been an impossibility without the support from USDA that we have received," said Lisa Zavogiannis, President of the Board of Directors for the Children's Advocacy Center for the 31st Judicial District. "We know the children of our district are the real winners because of this expansion."    

 

Rural Development’s community facilities program uses direct loans, loan guarantees and grants to provide rural areas with the financial resources to construct or improve essential services like healthcare, education, civic buildings and first responder facilities. The loan-guarantee program encourages private lenders to expand their investment of capital in rural communities. Community facilities programs target rural areas with a population less than 20,000.

 

Others participating in the event were McMinnville Mayor Dr. Norman Rone, Warren County Mayor's representative Carol Cantrell and RD staff Jerry Jolley and Alice Wills.

 

USDA Rural Development’s mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for rural residents. Rural Development fosters growth in homeownership and affordable rental housing, finances business development, and supports the creation of critical community and technology infrastructure. Last year Rural Development assisted more than 678,000 Tennessee families and businesses, investing more than $435 million through affordable loans, loan guarantees and grants.

 

For more information on Rural Development programs available in Warren and Van Buren Counties contact the Rural Development Area Office in Cookeville at 931-528-6539 ext. 2, toll free at 1-800-342-3149 extension 1493, or visit us online at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/tn.

 

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