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Board of Directors and Current Staff About Rural Action |
About Rural Action | Our History | Building Healthy Communities 1982-1990 Rural Action grew out of another organization, the Appalachian Ohio Public Interest Campaign (AOPIC), which was formed in 1982 in response to federal cuts in domestic programs. In 1990 members of AOPIC and affiliated grass-roots groups
convened to evaluate AOPIC's programs and to plan for the future.
Recommendations included networking existing grass-roots environmental
and social change groups together and the development of a strategy
for sustainable development that would encompass the work of
citizens involved in both environmental and community-economic
development. A final recommendation was to disaffiliate with
AOPIC's parent organization, Citizen Action, and to forge an
independent path for Rural Action. Hundreds of members and other citizens had input into the design and wording of the first Rural Renewal Strategy, an ambitious plan for revitalizing the Appalachian counties of Ohio. During 1990 volunteers visited each of the 23 grass-roots groups to learn their needs and to lay plans for a sustainable development network. During 1991, 1992 ,and 1993 the membership was stabilized, eight sustainable development committees were formed, programs designed, and a Rural Renewal Strategy developed. 1993-1996 Rural Action spent much of its energy seeking funding and staff to implement the Rural Renewal Strategy. Two staff members worked with the Board of Directors on a
development plan that included seeking regional and national
partners and the expansion of a local membership base. National Award for Citizen Involvement for Sustainable Development. Since then other local, state, regional and national funders have joined with us as partners in sustainable development. |
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