NEWS
RELEASE
United States Department
of Agriculture • Rural Development
3001 Coolidge Rd. • 2nd Floor North • Suite 200 • East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: (517) 324-5204 • Fax: (517) 324-5225 •
alec.lloyd@mi.usda.gov
Contact: Alec Lloyd
(517) 324-5204
After 26 Project Receives $111,800 from USDA Rural Development
EAST LANSING, Sept. 11, 2012 – U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural Development State Director for Michigan James J. Turner today commemorated $111,800 in grants for the After 26 Project, a non-profit providing jobs for special needs adults in Wexford, Missaukee and Osceola counties.
“This is an excellent example of how USDA Rural Development reaches out to communities and changes lives,” said Turner. “These grants create a ripple effect that helps local businesses and provides support for those in need.”
The funds will help create the After 26 Depot Café & Unique Gifts in Cadillac. USDA Rural Development provided two Rural Business Enterprise Grants, $75,000 in 2011 and $36,800 in 2012 to support the initiative. The business will provide employment for 30 special needs adults and help support approximately a dozen local small businesses.
USDA Rural Development State Director for Michigan James J. Turner was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009. USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of more than $172 billion in loans and loan guarantees. Visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov for additional information about the agency’s programs or to locate the USDA Rural Development office nearest you.
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