Rockford, IA

With the successful application for an AmeriCorps worker grant for the 2008-2009 school year, and the Rudd Rockford Marble Rock Community School District agreeing to house the after school program, the Visions group is looking forward to working with school administration in the hiring and supervision of the AmeriCorps worker. We’re also anticipating some assistance in directing the AmeriCorps coordinator on the needs of the program. The elementary principal/curriculum coordinator has been involved in the Horizons program herself and has spent time working with the Visions group already. The school superintendent in on board with supporting the after-school program as well. The school also has a new secondary principal, who is anticipated to bring new ideas and a fresh, open-minded perspective.

First Security Bank’s Rockford office is where the funds for Rockford Visions group are kept. With support of the City of Rockford, these funds are filtered through a line item on the Rockford city budget. This enables us to avoid the expense and burden of a 501(c)(3) filing. This will mobilize the Visions group for the future - many groups form a 501(c)(3), lose interest or momentum, and then their funds are left unused.

July of 2008 is the scheduled release of a new brochure targeting first-time home buyers. The brochure, currently under construction, will contain step-by-step instructions for people looking to purchase a home for the first time.

A step-by-step guide will lead buyers through the process, beginning with pre-qualification for a loan by contacting a lender, followed by the home search and how it can be effectively accomplished. The brochure will discuss the benefits and protection of working with a Realtor® if a formal offer is written, inspections and closing procedures, etc.

The brochure will also contain a renting vs. purchase comparison, where the average $400/month rent X 5 years would result in $24,000 spent paying for someone else’s property and could be used to purchase one’s own property, thereby building their own equity. Purchasing vs. renting is an automatic savings plan.

Area lenders typically agree to help cover certain costs associated with this type of project, which is currently being researched with the assistance of local real estate professionals. Even with bad credit, lenders can be found to finance the purchase of a home.

The plan is to incorporate the brochure with the proposed housing assistance program being researched and planned for beginning in 2008. It will be updated as needed to follow the movements of the Rockford housing assistance program.

The Affordable Housing committee of the Rockford Visions group continues to work with the Charles City Area Development Corporation (CCADC) in order to find county funds that can be used for the proposed housing assistance program being explored for Rockford. Tim Fox, Executive Director of the CCADC, has expressed that the CCADC wishes to do a project in Rockford. This opportunity may prove very fruitful for future first-time homeowners in Rockford, as the housing assistance program is targeted to help those who have never owned a home before.

A successful AmeriCorps application will allow Rockford to hire a part-time qualified individual to operate an after school program beginning with the 2008-2009 school year. The RRMR Community School District has agreed to house the program. The individual hired will gain teaching/mentoring experience, receive a stipend, childcare allowance as needed, insurance, and funds toward furthering their education. The program is renewable. All families in need of after school care will be served and students in need of homework assistance will be welcome.

The group of energized Rockford citizens that has stepped forward to work through the Horizons program calls itself Rockford Visions. Made up of several committees that target certain needs related to poverty eradication, they’ve decided there’s a need to form a new committee - one that solely raises funds. It will likely consist of a person or persons from each of the existing committees, and will decide how funds will be raised and how they’ll be spent. One citizen has agreed to bookkeep the funds and has created a voucher system for receipts and disbursements of funds raised and used for Horizons / Rockford Visions projects. The Rockford Visions funds will be filtered through the City of Rockford as a line item in their budget, enabling us to obtain 501(c)(3) status at no cost.

The tourism committee held a group garage sale and raised funds that are earmarked for new Welcome to Rockford signs on all sids of town. The Fossil and Prairie Center / Fossil Park, on the west side of town past the golf course, is a popular tourist attraction, as it is one of only a few Devonian fossil parks in the world, and one of the only ones from which you can remove fossils. Because Interstate 35 is west of Rockford, many Fossil Park visitors head back west rather than drive into town. It’s important that a new sign is placed near the Fossil Park entrance, enticing tourists to visit one of Rockford’s several eating establishments or gas stations, or even camp at our popular Wyatt Park campground. The tourist dollars spent will help the business owners and also add to our Local Option Sales Tax protram. Rockford is a great place to visit or stay - we want the welcome signs to reflect a prosperous community, not the lack thereof to imply otherwise.

In a continued effort to create a Main Street cultural change from a mind-set of poverty to one of prosperity, the main street improvement committee is working on designing some building-front beautification. They hope to place some planters on main street in addition to the ‘Welcome to Rockford’ banners that have already been purchased and placed on light poles. The planters could be filled with annuals in the summer and evergreens/lights in the winter.