The Northwest Alabama Resource Conservation and Development has given $71,910.47 to Franklin County in 2015 and 2016 in 19 projects – an achievement coordinators want to highlight.

NW RC&D representatives and grant recipients gathered last week to celebrate the thousands of dollars dedicated to Franklin County projects, marking the occasion with a “big check” to represent the two years of grants awarded.

In 2016 the largest grant was dedicated to the Tharptown High School Greenhouse project, to the tune of $10,000. “They have this really state-of-the-art greenhouse so their kids can learn about planting. We were really excited about that one,” said RC&D representative Marianne Leigh. Projects also included Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring ($2,510), Imagination Library ($6,000), Envirothon ($1,000) and Financial Literacy for the 21^st Century at Russellville High School ($2,400), among others. Projects receiving grants in 2015 including the Franklin County Foster Grandparents, Overton Farm Restoration and document cameras for Russellville High School, among others.

Leigh said the Friday gathering was, in part, to recognize and show gratitude for Alabama legislators that providing the funding each year for these grants. “Without the state legislatures, we’re not able to do any of this. All our funding comes through them,” Leigh said.

Lauranne James, NW RC&D executive director, said she “just wanted everybody to be able to understand the amount of money we have provided in Franklin County.” She also wanted project administrators, the grant applicants, to receive recognition and get the chance to celebrate the projects they implemented, and “I want people to be able to understand a little more about RC&D and what we can do. We are here for the community.”
NW RC&D has been a part of the community for 26 years. Any 501(c)(3) nonprofit can submit an application for grant funding. For more information, call Leigh or James at 256-383-1446 or Northwest Alabama RC&D Council on Facebook.