Fay-Penn says federal program should help poor
Fay-Penn Economic Development Council is suggesting that one federal program focus more of its resources on helping the poor in Fayette County. During its quarterly meeting Friday, Barbara Gibel, Fay-Penn’s Federal Enterprise Community strategic planning manager, asked for approval of $225,000 in fund allocations to 11 different benchmark programs.
These include the following: Habitat for Humanity, $5,000; Connellsville Area Community Ministries, $10,000; Dunbar Borough, $10,000; Uniontown Fire Department/Ambulance Service, $10,000; Uniontown Police Department, $18,000; East End Community Center, $20,000; Connellsville Area Historical Society, $28,000; Dunbar Volunteer Fire Department, $28,000; Redstone Township, $28,000; Menallen Township, $28,000; and the FEC for administrative costs, $50,000.
Former Vice President Al Gore developed the FEC concept as a way of channeling more funds to rural, economically distressed areas.
“We are recommending that 75 percent of all future funding impact be targeted at individuals living in poverty,’ said Mike Krajovic, Fay-Penn president.
“This program was developed by Gore and (former president) Bill Clinton to target those people living in poverty. It’s great that we have been able to use some of the money to help community projects, but we need to concentrate on education, training and jobs. We are challenging the FEC implementation committee to come up with projects directed at people who need the most help.’
The FEC is a federal designation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and is in year six of a 10-year program. The FEC received $215,000 this year to fund various projects and reallocated $20,000 from year five funding, Gibel said.
“The FEC received 21 applications for funds totaling more than $195,000,’ Gibel said. The implementation board, she added, reviewed the projects and recommended the 11 grant recipients. Since its inception in 1999, FEC has worked with local elected officials, community agencies and residents to identify community-based projects for implementation in the Fayette Enterprise Community. The FEC includes Redstone, Menallen and a portion of Dunbar townships and the cities of Connellsville and Uniontown.
Through the planning process, 98 projects were identified. Each falls into one of seven categories that make up the FEC strategic plan: agriculture, community development, economic development, education, housing, social conditions and transportation.
More information on FEC programs is available by calling Gibel or Lisa Nypayer, FEC assistant, at 724-437-7913.