Atchison County Development Corporation (ACDC) spearheads and supports economic growth and vitality on many fronts. One of the best uses of our time and dollars is identifying individuals, groups, and communities at work and joining them in their efforts, whether it’s a business improving their building, a consortium working to address an infrastructure need, or a group working to revitalize their corner of our county. ACDC has formal processes in place for many types of support and assistance, but something they always want to promote is community pride.

This summer, take a tour of your town and pretend you’re a first-time visitor. If you see anything that brings you joy, brag it up and celebrate it. See a problem? Don’t wait for someone else to deal with it; be an active participant in the solution. If there’s a group at work in your community (Tarkio Renewal, Restore Rock Port, Fairfax Improvement Foundation, Park Board, etc.), please support them financially or join them! However, if committee work gives you hives and you want to take on a little project on your own, ACDC has a grant designed just for you.

This year ACDC is adding the Community Cleanup & Beautification (CC&B) grant to their lineup. CC&B projects will:

• Be carried out by community volunteers. (Do something on your own, invite friends to join you, or complete a project with your church/civic/community group.)

• Utilize local businesses. (ACDC will pay local vendors directly. Volunteers need not spend their own funds in order to carry out a project!)

• Beautify a visible, public area of the community. (Projects could be as small as weeding sidewalks or as big as adding signage!)

ACDC will fund up to $1,500 total in CC&B grants in 2024, with grant awards ranging from $25 to $500. This is a first-come, first-served grant, with applications accepted via mail only and considered in order of postmark. Contact ACDC (acdc@atchisoncounty.org; 660-744-6562) for an application today!