Rural entrepreneurs, resilient communities, sustainable prosperity
THESE ARE THEIR STORIES
Cleaning Up
Determined to build something stable for her family, Ali Alcaraz launched Pristine by Ali Cleaning Services, offering residential and commercial cleaning in the fast-growing Bentonville, Arkansas area. As her business…
Margin Mastery
Running a successful business isn’t just about making sales — it’s about managing what you spend to make those sales happen. That’s where operating costs come in. If you’re a business owner, understanding operating…
Clean Water at Last
For years, Ronnie Dalton of Coldwater, Mississippi — a small town of just over 1,300 residents in rural Tate County in the northwestern part of the state — lived without dependable access to clean water. Like many…
Red Oak Moves Forward
Tucked into the southeastern corner of Oklahoma, the Town of Red Oak sits at the junction of U.S. Highway 270 and State Highway 82, just 14 miles east of Wilburton and about 50 miles west of Poteau. Though small — with just…
Fiber Frontier
In Satartia, Mississippi — a tiny village of just 50 people along the Yazoo River — something once thought impossible is now becoming reality. The community is on track to receive high-speed fiber internet, a rare and…
Revitalization in Motion
In the heart of the Mississippi Delta — where grit runs deep and meaningful change takes time — a quiet but powerful transformation is underway. Since the fall of 2024, Communities Unlimited (CU) has been working…
Tower Triumph
In the windswept plains of West Texas, just off Interstate 20 and about 30 miles southwest of Abilene and 150 miles southeast of Lubbock, lies the City of Trent. With just under 300 residents, this rural town has long worked…
Driving Opportunity
In the tiny East Texas town of Pineland — where the population nears 900 and the timber industry fuels the economy — a powerful new partnership is putting opportunity in the driver’s seat. This summer, a brand-new Commercial…
Decades of Determination
BACKGROUND In Cherokee County, Oklahoma, several water systems rely on the City of Tahlequah as their sole source of water. This dependence has limited growth for some of these systems. A few systems have their own small…
Infrastructure in Action
In South Texas, the Military Highway Water Supply Corporation (MHWSC) delivers drinking water to more than 15,000 residents across over 50 colonias in southeastern Hidalgo and Cameron counties. Based in the small community…
Water Security
Located at the intersection of State Highway 28 and Historic Route 66, Chelsea, Oklahoma, sits just 47 miles northeast of Tulsa. Though small in size, the town’s vision is anything but. Chelsea is home to a growing…
Relief Realized
When Amanda Edwards saw a Facebook post shared by Linda Weatherford — a trusted friend, representative of the Dumas Housing Taskforce, and key partner and advocate of Communities Unlimited (CU) — she didn’t expect it would…
Earning Stripes
When Eric Gray walked away from a grueling 70- to 100-hour workweek with the Mississippi Department of Transportation, he was looking for more than a career change — he was looking for a better life. With encouragement from…
Cleaning Up
Determined to build something stable for her family, Ali Alcaraz launched Pristine by Ali Cleaning Services, offering residential and commercial cleaning in the fast-growing Bentonville, Arkansas area. As her business…
Margin Mastery
Running a successful business isn’t just about making sales — it’s about managing what you spend to make those sales happen. That’s where operating costs come in. If you’re a business owner, understanding operating…
Clean Water at Last
For years, Ronnie Dalton of Coldwater, Mississippi — a small town of just over 1,300 residents in rural Tate County in the northwestern part of the state — lived without dependable access to clean water. Like many…
Red Oak Moves Forward
Tucked into the southeastern corner of Oklahoma, the Town of Red Oak sits at the junction of U.S. Highway 270 and State Highway 82, just 14 miles east of Wilburton and about 50 miles west of Poteau. Though small — with just…
Fiber Frontier
In Satartia, Mississippi — a tiny village of just 50 people along the Yazoo River — something once thought impossible is now becoming reality. The community is on track to receive high-speed fiber internet, a rare and…
Revitalization in Motion
In the heart of the Mississippi Delta — where grit runs deep and meaningful change takes time — a quiet but powerful transformation is underway. Since the fall of 2024, Communities Unlimited (CU) has been working…
Tower Triumph
In the windswept plains of West Texas, just off Interstate 20 and about 30 miles southwest of Abilene and 150 miles southeast of Lubbock, lies the City of Trent. With just under 300 residents, this rural town has long worked…
Driving Opportunity
In the tiny East Texas town of Pineland — where the population nears 900 and the timber industry fuels the economy — a powerful new partnership is putting opportunity in the driver’s seat. This summer, a brand-new Commercial…
Decades of Determination
BACKGROUND In Cherokee County, Oklahoma, several water systems rely on the City of Tahlequah as their sole source of water. This dependence has limited growth for some of these systems. A few systems have their own small…
Infrastructure in Action
In South Texas, the Military Highway Water Supply Corporation (MHWSC) delivers drinking water to more than 15,000 residents across over 50 colonias in southeastern Hidalgo and Cameron counties. Based in the small community…
Water Security
Located at the intersection of State Highway 28 and Historic Route 66, Chelsea, Oklahoma, sits just 47 miles northeast of Tulsa. Though small in size, the town’s vision is anything but. Chelsea is home to a growing…
