Rural entrepreneurs, resilient communities, sustainable prosperity
THESE ARE THEIR STORIES
Gordon Rebounds
When Charles Dismuke first took office as mayor of Gordon, he didn’t know if the small southeastern Alabama town could keep going. “To be honest, things weren’t very good,” he recalled. “We weren’t really able to function…
Farm Forward
When the pandemic brought the world to a halt, Stacey McGraw and her husband, Charlie, found themselves spending more time at home in rural Clayton, Louisiana. What might have been idle hours for some turned into a moment…
Seeds of Change
When Mayor Barbara Domain walks behind Ames City Hall these days, she sees more than rows of okra, peppers, zucchini, and squash. She sees neighbors trading recipes, children learning where their food comes from, and a…
Surviving and Thriving
In a year when many small food businesses in rural Arkansas have closed their doors, Misha Murphy’s business is still rolling. Murphy, owner of Murphy’s Bakery & Burgers, credits her resilience to creativity, community…
Next Chapter
When Katie Stone was growing up in foster care, she often felt like she was missing a guidebook for life. Nobody had shown her how to navigate hard conversations or prepare for the milestones ahead. Years later, as…
Shining Future
Jennifer White will be the first to admit she’s old-fashioned — she grew up in her grandparents’ household. When she was younger, it was easier to walk into an employer’s office, shake someone’s hand, and land a job. Today,…
Infrastructure Refurbished
A vital piece of water infrastructure in south Arkansas’s Union County, near the Louisiana border, has been refurbished thanks to a low-interest loan from Communities Unlimited (CU). Johnson Township Public Works Authority…
Score Builder
When one of her students jumped nine points on the ACT after just six weeks of tutoring, Lasonya Anderson realized she had been given a gift. That early breakthrough planted the seeds of ProACT, the tutoring business she…
Rolling Forward
When the sound in his truck’s front end grew too loud to ignore, Isaac Traylor knew his business was at risk of stalling. The 2020 Dodge Ram wasn’t just transportation — it was the workhorse that pulled the trailer carrying…
Through the Lens
When the warnings flashed across her computer screen — update required, system no longer supported — Deitra Jackson knew her photography career was running on borrowed time. Her trusted laptop and camera had carried her for…
Develop the Developer
Communities Unlimited (CU), in partnership with Freddie Mac, is excited to launch the Develop the Developer Academy — a program designed to equip aspiring and early-stage real estate developers with the skills, knowledge,…
Gordon Rebounds
When Charles Dismuke first took office as mayor of Gordon, he didn’t know if the small southeastern Alabama town could keep going. “To be honest, things weren’t very good,” he recalled. “We weren’t really able to function…
Farm Forward
When the pandemic brought the world to a halt, Stacey McGraw and her husband, Charlie, found themselves spending more time at home in rural Clayton, Louisiana. What might have been idle hours for some turned into a moment…
Seeds of Change
When Mayor Barbara Domain walks behind Ames City Hall these days, she sees more than rows of okra, peppers, zucchini, and squash. She sees neighbors trading recipes, children learning where their food comes from, and a…
Surviving and Thriving
In a year when many small food businesses in rural Arkansas have closed their doors, Misha Murphy’s business is still rolling. Murphy, owner of Murphy’s Bakery & Burgers, credits her resilience to creativity, community…
Next Chapter
When Katie Stone was growing up in foster care, she often felt like she was missing a guidebook for life. Nobody had shown her how to navigate hard conversations or prepare for the milestones ahead. Years later, as…
Shining Future
Jennifer White will be the first to admit she’s old-fashioned — she grew up in her grandparents’ household. When she was younger, it was easier to walk into an employer’s office, shake someone’s hand, and land a job. Today,…
Infrastructure Refurbished
A vital piece of water infrastructure in south Arkansas’s Union County, near the Louisiana border, has been refurbished thanks to a low-interest loan from Communities Unlimited (CU). Johnson Township Public Works Authority…
Score Builder
When one of her students jumped nine points on the ACT after just six weeks of tutoring, Lasonya Anderson realized she had been given a gift. That early breakthrough planted the seeds of ProACT, the tutoring business she…
Rolling Forward
When the sound in his truck’s front end grew too loud to ignore, Isaac Traylor knew his business was at risk of stalling. The 2020 Dodge Ram wasn’t just transportation — it was the workhorse that pulled the trailer carrying…
