Programs

The Clinch-Powell Enterprise Community designation ended in 2009. The RC&D and its partners would like to thank everyone that helped make the Enterprise Community such a huge success.

The Clinch-Powell Enterprise Community came about in 1998, when the federal government announced that it would fund a second round of the Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Communities Initiative. This highly successful program was designed to help strengthen economically depressed areas by providing aid in the form of direct funds, tax incentives and access to special federal funding. The initiative was bottom-up in design by letting community residents decide how best to improve their communities.

A massive effort, led by the Clinch-Powell RC&D and including dozens of public and private organizations led to the creation of the Strategic Plan*, which presented a comprehensive ten-year plan to strengthen our community. In keeping with the bottom-up design of the program, the plan was based primarily on a survey of the EC residents.

*EC Plan Vol 1 (170 KB PDF file)Vol 2 (147 KB PDF file)Plan Matrix (58 KB PDF file)

The plan was accepted and we were designated an Enterprise Community by Vice President Gore in January of 1999. The Clinch-Powell EC was one of only a handful of EC's designated out of 100's of applicants.

The U.S.D.A. Rural Development office is the federal agency in charge of rural Enterprise Communities and Empowerment Zones. Clinch-Powell RC&D was defined as the main entity and fiscal agent for the Enterprise Community.

We are governed by a board of directors, which include 3 members from each of the five counties in the area. Some of the benefits of the designation includes $250,000 in direct funds, tax incentives for businesses that employ community residents, and access to special funds that are only available to Enterprise Communities and Empowerment Zones.

Accomplishments

Here you can see exactly what the EC has done for our community through a mixture of direct grants, letters of support for federal funds, and tax incentives to businesses. Overall, over $2.5 million in funds have come to our area through the EC

Library Challenge Grant

A number of schools in the area have received a $5,000 grant to purchase books for their libraries. The schools that received the grants include Washburn, Forge Ridge, Springdale, Clinch, Horace Maynard and Hancock Central.

Kool Kids Art Camp

The Hancock Booster's Education Association has received a $2,000 grant to provide a summer arts enrichment program for youth ages 6-16 in Hancock County. The grant will be used to purchase materials, supplies and tools for the camp that provides a creative structured arts program as well as safe day care for the six- week program.

Jubilee Youth Center

The Jubilee Project has received $2,000 from the EC to augment a $27,000 program designed to provide a recreation and enrichment program for youth ages 10-18 in Hancock County.

Shepherd's Corner

Of One Accord Ministries has received a $6,100 grant from the EC to increase the size and replace a faulty heating unit in their Shepard's Corner Thrift Store in Sneedville.

TRANSIM

The TN Technology Center has received $5,000 to go toward the purchase of a $41,000 truck transmission simulator. This high tech learning tool will be used in their Truck Driving program in Hawkins County to perfect student's driving skills in the classroom environment.

Jump Start Workforce

The Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority has received $4,900 from the EC to develop a program to address the need for computer-based work skills training for female heads of households in Claiborne County.

Bunches of Books

Washburn School has received $5,000 from the EC to purchase reference materials and computers equipped with CD ROM for their accelerated reader program.

Arts Build Classroom

Hancock Central School has received $3,800 for materials, supplies and equipment for the new art room at Hancock Central Elementary School.

Claiborne 911

The Claiborne County 911 dispatch recieved a $2,250 grant to upgrade their response system.

Rabies Vaccinations

The Claiborne County Animal Shelter received a $1,150 grant to provide rabies vaccinations.

Grainger Industrial Park Sign

The Grainger Industrial Development Board/DCEA received $2,500 to upgrade the sign outside the Grainger Industrial Park.

The Jubilee Project was awarded $15,000 to help purchase the Flat Gap building and property for Clinch-Powell Kitchens.

Growing a Band

A grant of $5,000 has been awarded to Horace Maynard Middle School in Maynardville in Union County for Growing a Band program. This is a 50/50 match. This grant will be used to purchase band instruments.

Lincoln Library and Museum

Lincoln Library and Museum located at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate in Claiborne County has been awarded $2,999 with a 50/50 match for its Community Outreach Program to advertise and encourage participation in Museum year-round historic and cultural activities.

ACT on Monday

HMMS was awarded a grant of $5,583.96 for their ACT on Monday program. The focus of this program is to improve TCAP scores and provide life-long learning skills for parents and students. A technology laboratory with 21 computers is being utilized by students in the day for history, math and science. On Monday evenings, parents are invited to the lab to learn computer skills in utilizing the internet, working with spreadsheets and using a word processor.

Rescue Squad Communications

The Claiborne County Rescue Squad has been awarded a grant of $2,000 with a 50/50 match for its Rescue Squad Communications program. This grant will allow the Rescue Squad to purchase much-needed pagers for Squad personnel.

Union County Schools The Maynardville Elementary School Library was awarded $2,500 for books.

Speedwell VFD The fire department was awarded $3,728 for a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus.

Carter's Valley VFD The fire department in Hawkins County received $5,000 fora Foam Pumper.

Claiborne Fire Association Received a grant for $3,000 to purchase a Radio Repeater.

The Basic Needs Task Force issued a challenge grant (50/50) to Volunteer Fire Departments in the EC for Turn-out Gear. Seventeen departments took the challenge for a total of $71,441.20. This amount purchased 88 sets of turn-out gear that includes helmet, coat, pants, boots, hood, suspenders, and gloves.

Not Barn Yesterday

A grant received by the RC&D from the East TN Foundation through Tennessee Arts Commision for $4,500 to paint murals on two barns in two counties. The EC's Tourism and Quality Communties Task Forces matched the ETF grant.

Aunt Mahala's Cabin

The Vardy Historical Society received a $5,600 grant to assist with the relocation and restoration of Mahala Mullins Cabin.

Clinch-Powell Community Kitchen

The Jubilee Project received $15,000 to assist in land purchase of the Old Flat Gap School for Clinch-Powell Community Kitchen.

Our Cannanland Community Park Our Cannanland, Inc. received $5000 for assistance in building restrooms at the park.

Delivery Truck Of One Accord Ministries received $5,000 to help purchase a delivery truck for the emergancy food bank.

Agri-Tour The Jubilee Project received $2,000 for two one-day events highlighting local farms and services.

Library Books Sharp's Chapel School received $3,000 for the purchase of library books.

Union County Rescue Squad. and Volunteer Fire Department received $5,000 to help with upgrading equipment.

Second Harvest Food Bank The Second Harvest Food Bank received $5,000 to help purchase a new freezer unit.

Rescue Squad Radios The Claiborne County Rescue Squad received $1058 dollars for new radios and pagers.

Claiborne County 911 received $623 for dispatcher chairs.

Hancock County Literacy Center received $5,000 for fire alarm system.

Of One Accord received $4,382 for a freezer unit for their food bank program benefiting Hawkins and Hancock Counties

Boys and Girls Club of Hawkins Countyreceived $37,500 as part of the EC Youth Initiative.

Creative Mountain Women Artistsreceived a grant of $500 for display shelving.

Lincoln Memorial Museum and Library received $812 for assistance with their black history month program.

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“All programs and assistance of the RC&D Council are available without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).”