Safe Haven
When Susie Grissom bought a house in Stamps, Arkansas in 2023, she believed it could become a comfortable place to live. Instead, the Lafayette County home quickly revealed a long list of needed repairs. Grissom found the…
Bridging the Gap
In many rural communities, progress doesn’t stall because local leaders lack ideas. It stalls because small county and city offices are stretched thin — and when a problem arises, they often don’t have a clear starting…
Reliable Together
Along the edge of Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee, the neighboring communities of Elbridge and Hornbeak in Obion County rely on two small water systems that operate almost as one. The utilities share an operator,…
Growing Stronger
More than 20 years ago in Scott, a small suburb of Lafayette, Louisiana, a group of community members came together around a shared goal: increasing access to fresh, healthy, organic food. At the time, those options were…
School Spark
More than a year after a single workshop conversation, the Rusk Education Foundation is already changing daily life inside classrooms at the local independent school district. In 2024, parent-family liaison Laeil Pepin…
From Paperwork to Power
Across Mississippi, many small water systems face the same challenge: the biggest barriers are not always broken pipes or aging wells, but the regulatory requirements, funding applications and operational demands required to…
Building the Picture
Mississippi entrepreneurs Paul and Breanna Sweet didn’t just want a business. They wanted something lasting — a way to support their eight children and build generational wealth. “In order to build something generational and…
Stepping Out on Faith
For more than four decades, Nellie Burnett has built her business on something simple but increasingly rare — doing the work herself. Burnett, owner of Burnett, Son, and Grandson Janitorial and Lawn Service, first entered…
Modern Meters
In rural Perry County, Alabama, providing reliable drinking water requires more than operating pumps. The Perry County Water Authority, a nonprofit system serving more than 1,100 connections in Marion, must stretch limited…
Ready to Respond
Since 2021, the Community Infrastructure Team at Communities Unlimited (CU) has worked alongside Village of Chataignier, a rural community of 364 people in south-central Louisiana’s Evangeline Parish, helping local leaders…
Getting Back on Solid Ground
For years, the City of Blanket faced mounting financial pressure within its wastewater system — a challenge common among rural communities working to maintain aging infrastructure while keeping services affordable. That…
Sounding Safety
After years of planning — and a devastating reminder of what was at stake — the City of Crockett in Houston County has completed the installation of six new outdoor warning sirens, significantly strengthening emergency…
Quick Wins Explained
Revitalization in rural communities rarely begins with a million-dollar project. More often, it starts with a cleaned lot, a painted wall, safer lighting, or a shared garden bed. At Communities Unlimited (CU), the Community…
Safe Haven
When Susie Grissom bought a house in Stamps, Arkansas in 2023, she believed it could become a comfortable place to live. Instead, the Lafayette County home quickly revealed a long list of needed repairs. Grissom found the…
Bridging the Gap
In many rural communities, progress doesn’t stall because local leaders lack ideas. It stalls because small county and city offices are stretched thin — and when a problem arises, they often don’t have a clear starting…
Reliable Together
Along the edge of Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee, the neighboring communities of Elbridge and Hornbeak in Obion County rely on two small water systems that operate almost as one. The utilities share an operator,…
Growing Stronger
More than 20 years ago in Scott, a small suburb of Lafayette, Louisiana, a group of community members came together around a shared goal: increasing access to fresh, healthy, organic food. At the time, those options were…
School Spark
More than a year after a single workshop conversation, the Rusk Education Foundation is already changing daily life inside classrooms at the local independent school district. In 2024, parent-family liaison Laeil Pepin…
From Paperwork to Power
Across Mississippi, many small water systems face the same challenge: the biggest barriers are not always broken pipes or aging wells, but the regulatory requirements, funding applications and operational demands required to…
Building the Picture
Mississippi entrepreneurs Paul and Breanna Sweet didn’t just want a business. They wanted something lasting — a way to support their eight children and build generational wealth. “In order to build something generational and…
Stepping Out on Faith
For more than four decades, Nellie Burnett has built her business on something simple but increasingly rare — doing the work herself. Burnett, owner of Burnett, Son, and Grandson Janitorial and Lawn Service, first entered…
Modern Meters
In rural Perry County, Alabama, providing reliable drinking water requires more than operating pumps. The Perry County Water Authority, a nonprofit system serving more than 1,100 connections in Marion, must stretch limited…
Ready to Respond
Since 2021, the Community Infrastructure Team at Communities Unlimited (CU) has worked alongside Village of Chataignier, a rural community of 364 people in south-central Louisiana’s Evangeline Parish, helping local leaders…
Getting Back on Solid Ground
For years, the City of Blanket faced mounting financial pressure within its wastewater system — a challenge common among rural communities working to maintain aging infrastructure while keeping services affordable. That…
