Investment will Fund first of its Kind Facility in The County
BANGOR, ME, September 2, 2021 – Acting Maine State Director Tommy R. Higgins announced today that USDA Rural Development is investing a total of $260,000 in The Center for the Advancement of Rural Living, in Caribou. The funding will support substance abuse recovery in Aroostook County.
Acting Maine State Director Higgins said, “I am pleased that USDA Rural Development can provide this vital funding to The Center for the Advancement of Rural Living. This critical facility has the potential to change the lives of men and women recovering from substance abuse and put them on the road to healthier and brighter futures.”
The Center for the Advancement of Rural Living, in Caribou, has received a total of $260,000 through a Community Facilities Loan in the amount of $210,000 and Grant in the amount of $50,000. This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and rehabilitate a facility to be used as a Women's Recovery Home as well as another facility to serve as the Men's Recovery House.
The Center for the Advancement of Rural Living is a non-profit corporation with a mission to provide a continuum of services for populations in need in Aroostook County. The services include a residence for individuals coming to terms with alcohol and substance abuse recovery as they work to transition back into the community. They will provide opportunities for meetings, peer counseling, educational materials, job training and mentoring/ support from the live-in managers.
To learn more about Community Facilities Program funding opportunities, contact Robert Nadeau, Community Facilities Programs Director at (207) 990-9121. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB) for a detailed overview of the application process. USDA is making up to $500 million available in grants to help rural health care facilities, tribes and communities expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care services and nutrition assistance.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/me.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America.
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