Rural LISC

Our partnership with Mastercard Strive is unlocking opportunity for hundreds of #SmallBusinesses in Rural areas nationwide, scaled through partnerships with established Business Development Organizations (BDOs). Now, Mastercard’s newsroom takes us inside the story of how our partnership helped one small business in the Mississippi Delta grow and thrive. Kenesha Lewis, founder of Kay’s Kute Fruit, grew her smoothie business with mentoring, digital skills, connections with local banks and even sponsored advertising arranged by a local BDO supercharged by its partnership with Rural LISC and Mastercard Strive. https://lnkd.in/emWi4NJB

Rural LISC’s 2025 Annual Seminar, planned for June in Washington, D.C., has been cancelled, due to LISC recently receiving from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) a Notice of Termination of the Section 4 Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Program Grant. ? Follow @RuralLISC on your favorite social media platform to hear about upcoming events and programming. https://lnkd.in/eNy2TnFe

HUD’s recent cancellation of Section 4 local capacity building grants is a severe blow to the nation’s infrastructure of #affordablehousing and, if sustained, will damage local economies for years to come. For over 30 years, LISC has leveraged Section 4 resources to help local organizations develop affordable housing, support local businesses, and create economic opportunities. These funds have empowered nonprofits to upgrade their operations, expand their reach, and foster long-term growth in both urban and rural areas. We’re appealing this cancellation and urging others to speak out as well. Your organization can join our letter to Congress to help protect this essential funding for communities. Please sign by March 19: https://lnkd.in/eHR_3-6m

Meet Dextrianna Magee (Dex), a rural Mississippi native who recently earned an MBA from William Carey University. She was working three jobs to make ends meet when she discovered RCLF in Gulfport, MS, a #CDFI that helps people become successful homeowners and entrepreneurs. Thanks to the LISC AmeriCorps – Economic Mobility program supported by Citi Foundation, Magee now works at RCLF as an outreach representative, who spends her time in the community promoting the organization’s services and resources. Last fall she attended the Opportunity Finance Network Conference in Los Angeles, where she got to network with people from CDFIs across the country. “They just opened my eyes to a lot of opportunity out there that I just was not aware of,” she said. Magee plans to continue working in the CDFI industry when her AmeriCorps term ends this April. Hear Magee talk about what inspired her to join AmeriCorps and the most important thing she’s learned from her time with RCLF. Rural LISC

Our municipalities are among our most important partners. Through a community safety collaborative including the City of Greenville, Main Street Greenville, Greenville Police Department, Rural LISC, LISC Safety & Justice, and Delta Compass over 20 SkyCop cameras have been installed for community safety efforts through a $150,000 federal grant. Thank you to Mayor Errick Simmons for your continued support and leadership! Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Mona Mangat John Connelly Julianne Dunn, MPS, MPH, PCED Simmons Errick D Attorney At Law Ms

We're proud to see our partners at Fahe recognized in The New York Times for their innovative response to Eastern Kentucky's devastating 2022 floods. They're working for long-term solutions with community members to build resilient housing that will "stand the test of time." https://lnkd.in/eWix3cXZ Austyn Gaffney Mindy Beth Miller

Our team just wrapped up another fantastic site visit in Puerto Rico, where they supported several events. They assisted with the launch of the first Entrepreneur Academy in MUNICIPALITY OF GUANICA and participated in multiple sessions at the Economic Recovery Corps Conference, engaging with various partners and local funders. During the Causa Local Special Edition Special Edition FUN Open MIC ERC's/EDA/IEDC, our team had the pleasure of meeting Silverio Perez, the renowned Puerto Rican musician, writer, comedian, entrepreneur, and media host, to discuss the impactful projects led by Causa Local. Additionally, the team joined Edwin Rodríguez, the first Puerto Rican MLB manager, at the Wiso G. Claudio Baseball Park in the Arenas Community to discuss the park's revival and its potential to boost Guánica's economic vitality. Nuestro equipo acaba de concluir una visita fantástica a Puerto Rico, donde apoyaron varios eventos. Colaboraron en el lanzamiento de la primera Academia de Emprendedores en Guánica y participaron en múltiples sesiones de la Conferencia del Economic Recovery Corps, interactuando con diversos socios y financiadores locales. Durante la Edición Especial de Causa Local: Noche de Diversión y Micrófono Abierto de ERC/EDA/IEDC, nuestro equipo tuvo el honor de conocer a Silverio Pérez, el reconocido músico, escritor, comediante, empresario y presentador Puertorrique?o, con quien discutieron los proyectos impactantes que lidera Causa Local. Además, el equipo se unió a Edwin Rodríguez, el primer mánager Puertorrique?o en la MLB, en el Parque de Béisbol Wiso G. Claudio en la Comunidad de Arenas para conversar sobre la importancia de la revitalización del parque y su potencial para impulsar la vitalidad económica de Guánica.

On January 30th, LISC Program Officer Julianne Dunn, MPS, MPH, PCED and Assistant Program Officer India Turner hosted?Fair Credit, Fair Chances: Protecting Communities from Predatory Lending. This insightful webinar featured an esteemed panel of experts: Dustin Fuller, FOC Manager at Habitat for Humanity–Findlay/Hancock County (You can view his highlights here: https://lnkd.in/eKg7WAFG) Valerie Moffitt, Senior Program Officer at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) (View her highlights here: https://lnkd.in/e5xzdpvf) Gabe Kravitz, Housing Policy Manager at The Pew Charitable Trusts. (View his highlights here: https://lnkd.in/eJgfBj9w) Together, they discussed strategies to protect vulnerable communities from exploitative lending and real -world solutions from direct client engagement to national advocacy efforts. Attendees gained valuable insights into the latest policies, best practices, and practical tools to combat predatory loans that trap borrowers in cycles of debt. The conversation reinforced the importance of financial empowerment and economic justice in the communities we work and live in. You can view the entire webinar and highlights here: https://lnkd.in/eATF_sQU

Thank you Suzanne Anarde-Devenport for the wonderful tribute to Rural LISC and your service to Rural Community Development! We're thrilled to have you back on the board, and excited for the next #RuralTalks!

Meet Verna Halthon, a rural Alabama native and Tulane University graduate who worked for the State of Mississippi for 27 years before retiring. She quickly realized she wasn’t ready to leave the workforce yet and jumped at the opportunity to become a LISC AmeriCorps - Economic Mobility Corps member with support from Citi Foundation. Placed with Renaissance Community Loan Fund (RCLF) in Gulfport, MS, a #CDFI that helps people become successful homeowners and entrepreneurs, Halthon works as an outreach representative, who spends her time in the community promoting the organization’s services and resources. After Halthon passed the exam to become a HUD-certified housing counselor, RCLF hired her for a full-time position as a housing counselor when her AmeriCorps term ends. She is now soaking up as much knowledge as she can from RCLF’s veteran counselors, as she completes on-the-job training and prepares for her new role. ??? Hear Halthon talk about what she’s learned about housing counseling and how the ongoing, personalized support RCLF offers clients – both pre- and post-purchase – helps people achieve their homeownership goals.