In cooperation with Ohio Rural Community Assistance Program, the Village is hosting a public meeting on Monday, August 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room at the Community Health Professionals Building.

Ohio RCAP has asked Ada to assist them with a rural community development initiative grant application through the USDA. The uses of these potential grant funds are determined based on the needs of the individual community, and the input of the Ada community is crucial.

Uses may include development of home-ownership education, preparation of strategic planning, training tools for fundraising, find alternative funding sources, and developing child care facilities.

This USDA grant is modeled after a successful HomeTown Cooperative initiative founded in Nebraska. More information on that initiative may be found at www.htccommunity.org. Since the inception and success of the Nebraska program, similar initiatives have popped up across the country. Many of the efforts are aimed at building local leadership, engaging youth, building local philanthropy and entrepreneurship.

Representatives from Ohio RCAP will be presenting an overview of the grant, the application, and listening to feedback from the Ada community. You are encouraged to attend to hear how this grant may help the community efforts of Ada, and offer ideas and suggestions to the grant writers.

More information on the USDA-RCDI grant may be found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/had- rcdi_grants.html .