Manchin, Rockefeller Announce $71,100 in Rural Development Funds for Projects in West Virginia
Coalton, Gassaway Volunteer Fire Departments and Calhoun County Courthouse will benefit
Washington, D.C. – United States Senators Joe Manchin and Jay Rockefeller (both D-W.VA) today announced that the Gassaway Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., the Coalton Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. and the Calhoun County Commission will receive $28,000, $18,900 and $24,200 respectively to make important improvements that will benefit their communities. The funding comes through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Economic Impact Initiative Grant Program and their Community Facility Grant Program.
The Gassaway Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. will receive a total of $18,900 to purchase rescue equipment, including a 4WD All Terrain Vehicle and a thermal imaging camera. The Coalton Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. will receive a $28,000 Economic Impact Initiative Grant to replace the fire station’s residential-style kitchen equipment with commercial quality, and to install a fire alarm system. The new equipment will allow the Coalton Volunteer Fire Department to use the kitchen for fundraisers, community activities, and as an emergency shelter.
The Calhoun County Commission will receive $24,200 to purchase a wheelchair lift for the Calhoun County Courthouse.
“These grants will provide critical economic development dollars in rural West Virginia, supporting projects that might otherwise never be completed,” Manchin said. “Having once worked with the volunteer rescue squad in Marion County, I appreciate the need many other volunteer fire departments have for updated equipment that adds value to the community. Each of these projects will do just that.”
“Volunteer firefighters provide crucial, and often life-saving services to people in our communities every day,” Rockefeller said. “We owe it to these hard working men and women to provide them with the most up-to-date resources and equipment they need to do their jobs. I’m pleased that these worthy projects at the Gassaway and Coalton Volunteer Fire Departments and the Calhoun County Courthouse will receive money to complete projects that will really benefit their communities.”
The Rural Development program’s mission is to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural areas across the United States of America. Rural Development achieves its mission by helping rural individuals, communities and businesses obtain the financial and technical assistance needed to address their diverse and unique needs.
# # #
Next Article Previous Article
