Golden LEAF to hold meeting today to discuss grant process
By Steve Herring
Published in News on May 22, 2012 1:46 PM
The Golden LEAF Foundation will host the latest in a series of public forums on its Community Assistance Initiative grants-making process targeting the state's economically distressed counties.
The meeting will be held today at 5:30 p.m. in Room 101 of the Walnut building at Wayne Community College, 3000 Wayne Memorial Drive.
Over the course of the past several months, people attending the forums have created "Results Statements" of what they hope would change in the county over a period of time because of the projects funded through the program.
The statements were used to create a draft request for proposals that will be discussed on Tuesday. Once approved, the request for proposals will be distributed to the broader Wayne County community requesting proposals to address the issues.
During Tuesday's meeting, the group also will discuss a schedule for receiving the proposals. The following meeting will focus on getting Golden LEAF feedback on the proposals and creating a local review team to create the final slate of projects.
Golden LEAF funds come from the tobacco buyout and settlement reached several years ago between the government and the tobacco companies. A portion of the money paid out by the companies was set aside to boost economic development and quality of life in the state. The foundation was created to distribute the money.
The "Results Statements" are:
* Education and Workforce Development
"Wayne County seeks to improve school performance, strengthen our workforce, and improve the quality of life for adults and all our students. Key indicators include increase:"
1. the literacy rate across the whole spectrum
2. the high school graduation rate 1 percent a year
3. the number of graduates (high school and post-secondary school) with the skills needed to meet the demands of the 21st century workforce.
* Economic Development and Infrastructure
"Wayne County seeks to significantly increase employment, enhance agricultural opportunities, produce livable wage careers, and further develop our community's economy and quality of life. Key indicators of success include increase:"
1. small business start-ups
2. the quality of life indices
3. farm income from the sales and marketing of agricultural products
4. the number of jobs paying livable wages to retain and recruit local talent and a skilled work force.
* Youth Services
"Wayne County seeks to decrease juvenile crime by increasing resiliency skills, social skills, personal responsibility, and a sense of belonging which will provide positive assets in youth to become productive citizens. Key indicators of success include decrease:"
1. juvenile crime by 25 percent by 2017
2. child abuse by 30 percent by 2017
3. teen pregnancy by 50 percent by 2017.