IN THIS ISSUE:
- Database News
- PRIDE Community Happenings
-
Save the Date! Webinar Series on Keeping Groceries Alive
- First Friday e-Call - Business Transition
- Continuing Opportunities Section
- Additional Funding Resources
- From the History Books
- Up for a Community Visit? We Are, Too!
- Catch Us on Facebook & Facebook Live!
- Kansas Department of Agriculture Resources
- First Friday e-Calls - Check 'em Out
- Events Calendar
- 2020 Kansas PRIDE Communities
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So some news: When you go onto our website starting late December and early January, you will notice you will not have the ability to report or enroll. The report and enroll buttons will be missing from the website. DO NOT PANIC! This will not affect your status of enrollment or good standing.
The program is experiencing a maintenance change over. This means that the older database is being paired with a new database and will take time. The buttons will return soon, and we will inform you through the Newsletter, Facebook, and by special email to your community contacts when the maintenance is complete. To be sure, as in years past, there will be a learning curve, but we are here to help (and gives us an opportunity to catch up with you while we are guiding you. When we started the database many years ago there were some speed bumps, but I (Jaime) will let you know that I look back on that time fondly because it was how I got to know many of you lovely volunteers, all of you are such awesome people!).
The majority of the anticipated downtime will be during the week of January 4th with everything coming back online by the following week or sooner so you can continue to enroll and report. Things to look forward to - the ability to add photos to your reports AND [drum roll] being able to add more than 10 projects per quarter!
So to recap: Don’t panic, the buttons will return, and you’re awesome! – Jaime Menon, K-State Research and Extension PRIDE Co-Coordinator, jmenon@ksu.edu
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PRIDE Community Happenings
It has been a busy month! Let's see what's been going on around the state. Alton PRIDE illuminated their Christmas light displays recently at the Christmas in Alton celebration. You can view the lighting countdown and a tour by heading over to their Facebook page. We received word from Ellis PRIDE of a successful Veteran's Day Ceremony. You can view that video through their Facebook page. Anthony PRIDE continued with their cleanup projects and received regular press coverage in the local newspaper. They've also been quite active in the promotion of community activities and events. Head over to Facebook to check out their progress. From recent reports we hear that Bushton PRIDE has been working to maintain flower pots around town, cleaning up the community garden, and working with the Boy Scouts to pour concrete for a new "Gaga Ball Pit." One of the local Girl Scouts created a sign to be installed soon. Finally, Leonardville PRIDE installed a Blessing Box to be filled with donated food and essential items that will be free for anyone in the community. they're working with other organizations to keep the box full.
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Save the Date! Webinar Series on Keeping Groceries Alive
Grocery stores are crucial businesses in rural communities: they serve as essential sources of healthy food; they drive local economies by creating jobs; and they provide space for community members to gather and connect.
When a grocery store closes, the community loses out. In order to maintain vibrant rural grocery stores over the long-term, grocers and communities must plan ahead.
The Rural Grocery Business Transition Project is presenting an 8-part webinar series that will help you understand your options and the process of transition to new ownership. In many cases, some form of community ownership can provide a viable opportunity for maintaining a healthy grocery store. The presentations will explain this and other options and how you can prepare for a successful transition.
When: Thursdays at 1:30pm CT, January 28 – March 18
Who: Grocers, prospective grocers and community stakeholders are invited to attend.
This webinar series is sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Presented by the Rural Grocery Initiative, in partnership with Kansas State Research and Extension, NetWork Kansas, the Kansas Rural Center, the Food Co-Op Initiative, and the Kansas Center for Business Transition.
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BUSINESS TRANSITION
Coming up in February (February 5 to be exact!) K-State Research and Extension's First Friday e-Call will be highlighting resources for Business Transition:
The Kansas Center for Business Transition is a new free resource to help small business owners plan and execute their business transition. Their mission is to support the continuity and growth of small businesses with education and resources that benefit both the businesses and their communities.
Jack Harwell, Certified Exit Planner with the Johnson County Small Business Development Center, will share information about the Kansas Center for Business Transition and review resources which can be found on their website, https://ksbiztransition.com/.
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CONTINUING OPPORTUNITIES SECTION |
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GRANT WRITING WORKSHOPS
Did you know that K-State Research and Extension's Nancy Daniels presents grant writing workshops (she also does First Friday E-Calls, another AWESOME resource for communities, which are listed on a link later in the newsletter)? Check out the link below for more grant workshop locations and registration information. Due to the current COVID-19 situation, some of the upcoming in-person workshop dates may be subject to change, so keep checking back here or on the website for updates. We are also working on an online format for the future. More details to come.
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External Funding Opportunities |
Want to put your new grant writing skills to use? Here are some opportunities for project funding outside of the Kansas PRIDE grants:
The Chatlos Foundation, Inc. funds projects in a variety of areas, including social concerns (child welfare, vocational training, prison alternatives, concerns for the aged and disabled, and men, women and families in crisis). Grant cycle is ongoing and grants are typically less than $10,000 with social projects historically receiving between $2,000 and $5,000. To find out additional details and eligibility go to: https://chatlos.org/guidelines/categories-of-giving/
The People for Bikes Community Grant Program supports bicycle infrastructure projects and advocacy initiatives. Bike paths, lanes, trails, bridges, mountain bike facilities, bike parks, pump tracks, BMX facilities, and end-of-trip facilities such as bike racks, bike parking, bike repair stations, and bike storage are all projects that can be funded. The application period opens December 14, 2020 and the letter of interest is due January 22, 2021. For more information, including guidelines, visit: https://peopleforbikes.org/apply-now/
PetSafe will be opening its application period for their Bark for Your Park grants in May 2021. Grants are available to build or enhance off-leash dog parks in communities across the U.S. You can get a head start on next year’s application with a handy list of things you need listed here: https://barkforyourpark.petsafe.com/2018-apply#LearnMore
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Additional Funding Resources
Is your Kansas PRIDE community looking for funding to help with certain projects? Let us know what the project is, how much you're seeking, and what your timeline looks like. We have access to a grants database and likely can give you some links to potential funding sources. Just email us at PRIDE@ksu.edu with your request and project idea. Not a Kansas PRIDE community? This resource is a great reason to join! You can also reach out to your local Extension office which should have access to the database as well. - Jan Steen, Kansas PRIDE Program Co-Coordinator, jmsteen@ksu.edu
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In 1978 Kansas PRIDE hosted its first of several annual bus tours. What was the purpose of the tour? It was to show how outstanding communities in Kansas had used PRIDE, and how communities in Nebraska had used their own community improvement programs successfully to better their local quality of life. The tour started in McPherson to learn of local PRIDE committee projects there, including one that saved the city more than 1,000,000 gallons of water per day. Lindsborg PRIDE was next on the tour stop to talk about their accomplishments in their downtown, attractions, and festivals with a dinner at one of the state's finest restaurants - the New Brunswick Hotel. Westmoreland and Waterville were next after an overnight stay in Manhattan. Participants learned about replacing curbs, gutters, and sidewalks in Westmoreland, and the restored Opera House in Waterville. In Nebraska the tour attendees learned about Stromsburg's recycling center, and Henderson's community recreation area and lake. Swinging back into Kansas on the return trip to McPherson, buses stopped in Courtland to see beautification projects, and Concordia to look at the restoration of the Brown Grand Opera House. $40 registered a single person for the trip, including 2 meals and 2 hotel stays. My how times have changed! To see more Kansas PRIDE history, visit our Newsletter Archives page.
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Up for a Community Visit? We Are, Too! |
Our offer at the end of each newsletter is to come to your community so we can present an overview of the program, should you be interested in enrolling, or to discuss the program and any of its components or training modules in person if you’re already in the program. Travel restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 situation prevent us from visiting in person currently, but we still would be more than happy to host a Zoom meeting where your PRIDE group members, city council members, chamber participants, Masonic Lodge, or other groups could individually log in to see the presentation and ask questions. Just e-mail us at PRIDE@ksu.edu to set up a schedule.
To view pre-recorded webinars giving an introduction to the program, step-by-step instructions on how to enroll or report, fundraising, recruiting volunteers, and more, head over to our Education page for more. - Jan Steen, Kansas PRIDE Program Co-Coordinator, jmsteen@ksu.edu
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Aside from posting news and information on the Kansas PRIDE Facebook Page between newsletters (we don't want to end up in your junk folder!), we (as in Jan and Jaime) are now hopping on Facebook Live on some Fridays for some education and small talk - and sometimes the odd trivia question! Join us on Fridays (usually around 10am or a bit later - Jan and I (as in mostly I) are still getting used to it!) for some learning opportunities! |
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Kansas Department of Agriculture Resources |
As consumers are looking to build relationships and buy their food directly from the source, the Kansas Department of Agriculture is offering a series of webinars in January to provide information about direct-to-consumer sales. Clearing the Confusion: Meat Marketing Consumer Basics will be held January 6 from 7-8 PM and is designed for consumers interested in learning about basic meat science, common meat processing questions, along with recipes and resources included. Registration is required, but the webinar is free. Kansas Meat Marketing Basics: Putting you a Cut Above is for those wanting to learn more about the direct-to-consumer meat marketing business model and considerations as they start or build their meat marketing business. This webinar is daily, January 4-8 from noon-1 PM. Registration is required, but the webinar is free.
For more details on both webinars and how to register, visit the link below.
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First Friday e-Calls: Check'em Out!
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Have a local event going on? Got great places to visit? Eat? Play?
Why not send your ads here and we will place them in our newsletter? You just have to send a high quality photo and the verbiage you want to use and we will place them in our newsletter for one month!
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Quarterly Report Dates:
- January 15th, April 15th, July 15th, October 15th
Office Holiday Closing:
- December 21 through January 1, returning January 4th.
See you in 2021!
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2020 Kansas PRIDE Communities
The following communities have enrolled in the Kansas PRIDE Program for the year of 2020.
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- Admire
- Agra
- Alton
- Anthony
- Arlington
- Ashland
- Assaria
- Axtell
- Blue Rapids
- Burden
- Bushton
- Caldwell
- Caney
- Centralia
- Clifton
- Columbus
- Conway Springs
- Council Grove
- Delia
- Dover
- Dwight
- Elk City
- Ellis
- Fort Scott
- Glasco
- Grainfield
- Grinnell
- Harper
- Haysville
- Herndon
- Highland
- Hugoton
- Humboldt
- Iola
- Independence
- Kinsley
- La Harpe
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- Lakin
- Larned
- Lecompton
- Leonardville
- LeRoy
- Lincoln
- Linn Valley
- Lucas
- Luray
- Macksville
- Marion
- McFarland
- Melvern
- Moran
- Mount Hope
- Newton
- Nickerson
- Norton
- Olsburg
- Osawatomie
- Ozawkie
- Perry
- Potwin
- Quenemo
- Randolph
- Riverton
- Rossville
- Rozel
- Russell
- Savonburg
- Stockton
- Toronto
- Vermillion
- Wakefield
- Wichita (South Central)
- Wilson
- Yates Center
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