Merlin Berg posted on April 06, 2009 12:32
The Rural Development Initiatives awards the City of Oakridge, Oregon and Westfir Oregon, UPBEAT its 2009 Rural Awards of Excellence in Economic Development .
I recently attended Rural Development Initiative annual gathering of rural Oregon community leaders at the Regards to Rural conference, celebrating all things rural in Oregon. Rural Development Initiatives helps rural communities thrive! Each year ‘Rural Awards of Excellence’ are given to honor and build awareness of the exemplary contributions community groups, organizations, and individuals are making within their communities.
This year, the City of Oakridge and Westfir UPBEAT (Unique Program for Business Enhancement and Advancement Together) received the “Rural Awards of Excellence in the Economic Development category”. This award is presented to the community group or individual who through a specific project or activity has brought new economic opportunity or the capacity to increase employment in a rural community.
Accepting the award was Jenifer Hood, Enterprise Facilitator for UBEAT. In accepting the award Jenifer shared her passion for rural entrepreneurship, UBEAT and community. Jenifer made the following remarks when accepting the award.
Thank you for this award. Both Rural Development Initiative and the Ford Family Foundation have done so much for UPBEAT and our community. An award like this coming from an organization that has taught me a lot it is especially meaningful.
Yesterday someone was comparing ancient Rome's fall to the "fall" of the United States. While fundamentally I agree with her analysis, there is something in the character of Americans, especially rural Americans, that gives me hope.
Rural Americans know that it takes hard work to get anything done. The same spirit that fueled the New Deal resides in the hearts and minds of these people. How do I know? I know because I work with them everyday as an Enterprise Facilitator.
You can take away their livelihoods with new regulations; you can close the factories they commute to, but they will still call to ask, "What do I do to start a business?" "I invented a widget, can you help me market it?"
The people I partner with, my board, the city of Oakridge, the city of Westfir, the Oakridge Westfir Area Chamber of Commerce, the Uptown Business Revitalization Association, which by the way is an offshoot of UPBEAT, all know that when we help these folks we help ourselves and the entire nation to survive, thrive and grow again.
Now's our time, rural Americans! Let's show that our American system is stronger than the Roman's! Let's keep working together to get America going again.
Thank you again for this award. I am humbled and feel blessed.
Jenifer Hood, Enterprise Facilitator
UPBEAT-Unique Program for Business Enhancement and Advancement Today
Oakridge, OR
541-520-4154