This week was probably one of my favorites that I have had at my fellowship this summer. The highlight of my week was attending the Rural Housing Forum that MORPC hosted up in the Morrow County. At this event, I got to meet with numerous stakeholders about their work in rural housing and economic development initiatives. I was thoroughly impressed with some of the businesses and their methodology for addressing this concern.

At this meeting, I first was kindly introduced to the team at Small Nation, a private company addressing rural development and housing needs. Their mission and successes with the City of Bellefontaine was remarkable, and I enjoyed talking with them about the role of private companies in helping foster this change. Often, I think most individuals only look to government’s role in alleviating pressures such as housing, but companies also can have a massive impact, especially for lower-middle income individuals. This is one of the key areas that I will be studying this upcoming August, so I greatly appreciate MORPC for fostering this connection.

In addition to the event, I was able to attend the Ag and Rural Communications Outreach meeting. In this meeting, we discussed initiatives around MORPC’s rural stakeholders about various rural issues. Once again, this is right up my alley with what I plan on pursuing, so I felt like this was a tremendous opportunity to hear about their work and how MORPC helps these communities succeed.

Overall, I am getting towards the end of the fellowship, which is sad because of the great work and priorities that MORPC has for their rural communities. This week showed me that our advocacy goes far beyond just the cities in Franklin County. It is comprised of everyone and every city that spans from Delaware County to Hocking County.