RMC-CASH Roundtable Resources Posted
The Rural Roundtable on Overcoming Economic Barriers to Family Economic Success
in Rural Communities, held December 11-12 in Frederick, was hosted by the RMC and
the Maryland CASH Campaign. The purpose of the Roundtable was to discover the
specific challenges facing rural families and individuals who are trying to
achieve economic stability and what programs, policies and products rural service
providers need to address these challenges. A roundtable report with recommendations and next
steps will be posted in early January; however, all presentations and resources presented at the Roundtable
are now available online.
Note: If you attended any portion of the Roundtable on economic barriers, please
fill out our brief evaluation and let
us know what you thought. We will use your feedback to improve future sessions.
USDA-Rural Development Announces Two Grant Programs
USDA Rural Development is accepting applications for the Public Television
Digital Transition Grant Program through February 18, 2009. These grants are
available to public television stations serving rural areas, regardless of whether
urban areas are additionally served. Application guides and materials may be
obtained at http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom or call (202) 690-4493. For additional information see the November 20 Federal Register, page 70311.
Non-profit organizations may submit applications for the Household Water
Well System Grant program until May 31, 2009. Non-profit organizations which
receive a grant must use it to make loans to individual homeowners to construct
or upgrade household water well systems. The non-profit groups must contribute
at least 10 percent of the grant request to capitalize the loan fund. In recent
years the amount available for this program on a nationwide basis has been
under $1 million per year. Application guide may be obtained at
http://www.usda.gov/rus/water.
Or call (202) 720-9583 to request paper copies
NOTE:USDA has made announcements about both of these grant programs
prior to passage of a final appropriations bill, which may or may not provide
funding for these programs, in order to allow applicants sufficient time to
leverage financing and submit applications. Further information on rural programs
is available at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.
State Launches Problem Solver
The State of Maryland launched a new website in December that provides access
to state and federal resources. Marylanders can now go to
www.problemsolver.maryland.gov to find information on a range of
services from heating and energy assistance, to employment assistance -
including job training and unemployment services - to services for
seniors and those living with disabilities. The website also provides a link
to an assistance eligibility calculator, which helps Marylanders determine what
services they may qualify for, such as food stamps, the Temporary Cash Assistance
program, Medical Assistance, the Maryland Energy Assistance Program, and the
Electric Universal Service Program, among others.
RMC's Vice Chair Named First Endowed Chair of Horowitz Center for Health Literacy
The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) Vice Chairman and Health Care Working
Committee Chairman Dr. Bonnie Braun has been named the first Endowed Chair of
the University of Maryland's School of Public Health and Director of the newly
created Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy.
Created with a generous endowment from the Horowitz family, the Herschel S.
Horowitz Center for Health Literacy is the first academic center for health
literacy in the United States.
Dr. Braun, an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health's Department
of Family Science and a State Family Policy Specialist with Maryland Cooperative
Extension, is a long-time member of the RMC Executive Board. She is also the
founder and creator of the
RMC's Rural Families Program, a direct service grant
program funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation which provides grants to
rural-serving nonprofit organizations that help low income rural families become
economically stable. Her research focus at the university includes extensive
study of low-income, rural family health and well-being.
"I envision the Horowitz Center being a place where different schools, communities,
and institutions can come together and learn more about improving the quality
of the health decisions people make," said Dr. Braun. "It is a mechanism to
achieve something that we couldn't do alone."
The Rural Maryland Council will work very closely with Dr. Braun during the next
six months as she begins laying the foundation for the Horowitz Center. By
continuing their association during this start-up phase of the Center, the RMC
and Dr. Braun will help ensure that the unique needs and concerns of Rural
Maryland are considered in the Center's plans and activities as it works to
extend health literacy throughout the state.
Health literacy is defined as "the degree to which individuals have the
capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services
needed to make appropriate health decisions." It affects every choice families
make about their health and welfare, from understanding insurance forms to
communicating effectively with their health care providers. The center aims to
improve poor health literacy and contribute new knowledge and interventions to
enhance and integrate health literacy in all aspects of health, social and
education programs and thus improve health outcomes.
As the Endowed Chair, Dr. Braun will lay the foundation for the Horowitz Center
in collaboration with the Center's Advisory Board, overseeing the creation of a
strategic plan and the implementation of priority research, service and education
activities in this burgeoning field of study. Dr. Braun will lead the effort in
educating faculty, students and the greater community about health literacy,
establishing partnerships with aligned programs within the university and beyond.
Author of more than 100 articles, Dr. Braun is a nationally-recognized
researcher in the fields of family health and health policy, and has received
numerous awards for her work. She earned her Ph.D. in Family Consumer Sciences
Education from the University of Missouri, and recently served as the President
of American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and as Co-Director of
the Maryland Family Policy Impact Seminar.
The Center is named after accomplished public health scientist, educator and
advocate Dr. Herschel S. Horowitz who is most notably praised for his pioneering
studies of fluoride and dental sealants in preventing the most common human
disease, tooth decay. A major proponent of health promotion and disease prevention,
he advocated for the addition of fluoride to community water supplies, one of the
great public health successes of the 20th century.
"I firmly believe that health literacy is one pathway to reducing health
inequalities and alleviating chronic diseases in this country," says Dr. Alice
Horowitz, Research Professor and wife of the late Dr. Hershel Horowitz. "My goal
for the Horowitz Center is to help Maryland become the most health-literate state
in the nation, and serve as a model and a catalyst for change to the rest of the country."
Read more about Dr. Braun
RMC Elects New Chairman for 2009
Michael Pennington, Executive Director of the
Tri-County Council for the Lower
Eastern Shore of Maryland, was elected to a one-year term as RMC Chairman, beginning
January 1, 2009, during the RMC's Annual Meeting in Annapolis on October 21, 2008.
Mike also serves on the Rural Broadband Cooperative Board of Directors.
He will succeed Charlie Ross, CEO/President of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce who
served as chairman the past two years.
Special RMC Programs
The Mission of the Rural Maryland Council is to build a bright future for Rural Maryland
by helping to address its unique concerns. The RMC works towards achieving effective solutions
by bringing together a diverse partnership of federal, state, and local government officials and
representatives from the private nonprofit and for-profit sectors to form a strong collective
voice dedicated to addressing the critical issues facing Rural Marylanders. The success of the
RMC depends on the strength of its Executive Board, membership and Working Committees. Our
general membership includes several hundred people -- each of whom brings a unique perspective,
background, knowledge, and skill set to the table. Any Maryland citizen is eligible to become a
member of the RMC. There is no fee for joining, just fill out an application form, mail or fax
it back to us and we'll be in touch. Click here for a Membership Application.
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