SRDC pilots ReadyCommunity disaster preparedness initiative
Six communities across the country will serve as pilot sites for ReadyCommunity, a national initiative led by the Southern Rural Development Center to assist rural places with disaster planning and response.
In partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Southern Rural Development Center, its sister Regional Rural Development Centers and Cooperative Extension System is providing national leadership to the program. ReadyCommunity provides a step-by-step process to help rural communities prepare a comprehensive Emergency Operation Plan for natural and technological disasters.
"Catastrophic weather, including hurricanes and tornadoes, in recent years has have brought to light the unique challenges rural communities face in the wake of a disaster," said Bo Beaulieu, Southern Rural Development Center director. "Our ReadyCommunity Guide, a companion to FEMA's Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101, fosters broad civic participation and links communities with their assets and resources."
Pilot sites include communities in Montana, New York, Oklahoma and Texas. These teams will soon begin testing the new guide materials, with the help of a neutral coach, data and technical support provided by Cooperative Extension Service and the Regional Rural Development Centers. The resulting preparedness plan, aligned with FEMA guidelines, will integrate efforts across all levels of government through the preparation, mitigation and recovery stages of a disaster.
Following a November 2011 SRDC-led training session in Nashville, these rural communities will now enhance their resilience in the face of disaster. As participants in the pilot project, the teams will help refine the ReadyCommunity materials so that they can be used to help other rural communities prepare for any threat or hazard.
For more information on the ReadyCommunity initiative, please contact Welborn at 662-325-3207 or rachelw@srdc.msstate.edu.
Going Digital: The Pros and Cons of Promoting Online Food Assistance Applications
The expansion of e-government is reshaping how disadvantaged groups access the social safety net. In 2011, 46.2 million people (or 14.8 percent of Americans) received Food Stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Persistent evidence suggests that low-income, less-educated, and older individuals, groups who are more likely to use publicly-funded services, are less likely to use the internet, yet very little is known about clients' experiences with emerging, modernized, internet-based public assistance administration systems.
What do disadvantaged clients think about internet-based application and recertification processes for social programs that provide critical financial support during these difficult economic times? Colleen Heflin, Andrew London and Peter Mueser address this question in their RIDGE Center for Targeted Studies-supported research, "Clients' Perspectives on a Technology-Based Food Assistance Application System." In this study, they interviewed 26 individuals in 2009 who were applying for SNAP benefits in Florida, which moved to an online-only application system in 2005.
Read More | February 16, 2012
SRDC Data Center updated with southern region state and county profiles
Profiles from every county in the 13 southern states are now updated with the latest demographic, education, social and economic data. State level data—overall and by metro and noncore areas of the state—are provided as well. The data in most profiles are presented over 2-3 points in time—1990, 2000, and 2010.
Read More | February 1, 2012
NIF releases economic security report
The National Issues Forums has released a new report, "Public Thinking about Economic Security: How Should We Take Charge of Our Future," that analyzes the results of a series of citizen discussions about economic security that took place from Sept. 2010 to April 2011 in 33 states, including nine from the Southern region. Find out what these citizens thought about self-disciplined spending, supporting local businesses and our national debt. Download the full report.
SRDC pilots ReadyCommunity disaster preparedness initiative
Six communities across the country will serve as pilot sites for ReadyCommunity, a national initiative led by the Southern Rural Development Center to assist rural places with disaster planning and response.
Read More | January 11, 2012
Nominations for 2012 Bonnie Teater Community Development Award due March 2
This year's Bonnie Teater Community Development Educator Lifetime Achievement Award will honor an administrator, specialist or agent in the Southern Region who has made significant contributions to the Extension community development for at least 10 years. Named in honor of Ms. Teater, an SRDC staff member for more than 30 years, the award comes with a $500 stipend. Nomination deadline is Friday, March 2, 2012. Get complete nomination process information at http://srdc.msstate.edu/funding/bonnieteater/.
Read More | January 11, 2012