Ronald Lambert, Land Protection Specialist for Clinch-Powell RC&D, has received funding from The USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program for a program which will meet the needs of local farmers while developing and maintaining Best Management Practices for the agricultural industry in the area. This program will provide assistance to farmers in Hancock and Claiborne Counties while focusing on improving the water quality and the fish and wildlife habitats in the Upper Clinch-Powell River Watersheds.

Join our team and put your social skills to work! We are seeking a digital marketing whiz to lead our not-for-profit team on a part-time basis. Ideal intern opportunity for graduate level Marketing major. Responsible for fresh content of four websites as well as digital marketing strategies that boost business and demand for services on Facebook and other social media. This is an AmeriCorps service position available now with a start date no later than May 1. Earn a living stipend and educational award package of $9,390 working part-time!

Clinch-Powell, in partnership with FAHE, is currently able to offer mortgage loans for homes in Knox County with fixed interest rates as low as 3% (APR 3.217%**)! Loan terms up to 30 years are available with no PMI. If interested, call 865-828-5927 or email kelsey@clinchpowell.net.

*Product only available to purchase a home in Knox County
**APR 3.217% based on a $100,000 with 3% down for 30 years

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Clinch-Powell is now accepting applications for our newest rental home. This spacious, affordable home is conveniently located only 1.5 miles from downtown Jefferson City. It is in terrific condition, but is currently undergoing a few cosmetic updates. It will be available mid-August. If you or someone you know is looking for quality affordable housing, give us a call. 865.828.5927

Have you been to www.ClinchRiverEcotourism.com lately? If you have, you probably noticed something different! We launched a completely new website for our sustainable ecotourism venue in Hancock County, River Place on the Clinch, in late June. You'll find more detailed descriptions of cabins and amenities, updated photo galleries of our properties, current music and event listings and more...Not to mention the new bold, inviting design!

Butterflies are beautiful little creatures. Unfortunately, one well-known species native to the US is rapidly declining, and Clinch-Powell RC&D is taking action. The World Wildlife Fund reported in 2013 that the Monarch Butterfly population dropped by 59%. Much of the decline is due to deterioration of suitable habitats for the butterflies.

Nearly half of your home’s energy use can come from the appliances and electronics you plug in. Swapping old light bulbs and household appliances for ones with the government-backed ENERGY STAR label can immediately lower your energy bills.

Saturday, June 6th is Free Fishing Day! Every year in June, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency allows fishing without a license for one day. There is no better place to fish than the Clinch River! Make a day of it. Come out and enjoy some fishing, then stop in at The River Place Café Saturday evening to enjoy catfish and frog legs, and live music from the Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Band. Cabins and camping are available if you want to stay longer. Call 423.733.4400 for more information. There is something for everyone at River Place on the Clinch!

Pre-Qualification, sometimes referred to as pre-approval, is one of the first steps in the home buying process. It is a way for home buyers to determine whether or not they can qualify for a mortgage before going through the lengthy loan process. It also allows home buyers to know how much money a lender would potentially give them towards the purchase of a home. It is important to know this information to determine the price range of homes in which they should be shopping. To obtain a pre-qualification, simply contact a lender.

Kelsey Cook, Andi Richardson, and Valerie Mullins, Appalachia CARES, AmeriCorps Members serving with the Clinch-Powell Home Team recently visited West View Middle School in Hamblen County to present their financial literacy program, "A Taste of the Future". Students ranging from 6th to 7th grade were given candy to use as money, and asked to make financial choices. The students then have the opportunity to review choices and evaluate how each choice impacts their future choices. It was a fun and interactive learning experience.

Clinch-Powell RC&D is committed to providing competent services, and offering the most up-to-date information to our community. Our team is always working to become more informed and better trained. Recently, Appalachia CARES, AmeriCorps member Andi Rhichardson traveled to Kansas City, MO to complete her training for certification to teach Home Buyer Education. Congratulations Andi! She will be teaching her first class at the Bryan House in Rutledge on May 30th.

The last great place on Earth just got a little better! Thanks to the Tennessee Division of Forestry Seasonal Fire Fighters from Hancock, Hawkins, and Grainger Counties, along with some Appalachia Cares, AmeriCorps members, you can now enjoy beautiful hiking trails at River Place on the Clinch! Enjoy gorgeous indigenous plants, trees and flowers, and breathtaking views of the Clinch River, and then come have a delicious country cooked meal. Cabin and Canoe rentals are available. For more information, call 423-733-4400.

Elizabeth, one of our Appalachia Cares/AmeriCorps members, had a great time today with the residents of Laurelwood Apartments in Morristown presenting a workshop on Financial Literacy and Budgeting.

Immediate position available. Use your talents and gifts to serve your community while gaining valuable experience and earning money to further your education or pay off student loans! Clinch-Powell RC&D, a non-profit community housing development agency, has immediate openings for Appalachia CARES, AmeriCorps positons. High School Diploma or GED required. Experience in an office setting, sales, real estate or construction a plus. Submit resume to cprcdinfo@gmail.com . Clinch-Powell is an EO/FH employer and provider.

Did you know Clinch-Powell RC&D makes small business loans? You can receive from$1,000 - $45,000, with interest rates as low as 2%. In 2005, we provided financing allowing Darlene Phillips to purchase Maples Florist, which is still located in downtown Rutledge.

AppalachiaCares/AmeriCorps members Andi Richardson, Kelsey Cook, and Elizabeth Grarisham are spending the day at West View Middle School educating kids about making smart financial choices with a fun, interactive game using candy as money.

The term affordable housing is often used, but do you really know what it means? There are some misconceptions out there. Affordable Housing does not mean that housing will have no cost, nor does it automatically mean that a housing subsidy is involved, although that may be the case at times. Affordable Housing, simply put, means that the cost of housing for a family is an affordable percentage, based on established guidelines, of the gross household income.

Grass clippings add necessary nitrogen to a compost pile, but be sure to mix with the “brown” materials that add carbon. Both are necessary for quick decomposition and rich compost. Piles made up of just grass will compact, slow down and start to stink. for more tips on composting check out www.planetnatural.com

Appalachia CARES Program Director, Trenna Brown, and Program Assistant, Stephani McCarty, enhanced their knowledge of AmeriCorps policies, techniques for outreach and overall success of national service programs at the Southern Regional Training last week. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) led the training, which was hosted in Orlando this year by Volunteer Florida.

Last week was National AmeriCorps Week! Corps all over the country celebrated with media events, service projects and opportunities to share their stories about being involved in national service. Our Appalachia CARES / AmeriCorps Program Staff attended the Statewide Conference on Volunteerism and Service-Learning, hosted by Volunteer Tennessee. Appalachia CARES currently has over 45 members in direct service from the Tri-cities to Nashville.

Clinch-Powell has developed a new partnership with Glenmary Home Missioners, a ministry of the Catholic Church serving rural America. Glenmary has recently established a mission retreat on Joppa Mountain Road with the purpose of bringing their services to Grainger and Union County. College students and staff from the group have assisted Appalachia CARES / AmeriCoprs member, Jeff Stidham, with tearing down a condemned home in Union County so that the land can be used to provide a home ownership opportunity to an area family. We look forward to partnering with this great group of young people on other projects in the near future. For more information on Glenmary Home Missioners, visit their website at www.glenmary.org. You can find more pictures of this project when you visit the Clinch-Powell Facebook Page.

Share your magazines! Read them, and pass them on. Goodwill, the Kidney Foundation and other used goods collection agencies will usually accept them. You can also pass them along to a doctor's office for the waiting room if they are still current issues. To eliminate even more waste, sign up for magazine subscriptions on your iPad, tablet or Kindle.

If you have ever bought a home, you have probably heard the term "closing costs" or "settlement charges." For those of you not so familiar with the home buying process, closing costs are the expenses over and above the price of the property that buyers and sellers normally incur to complete a real estate transaction. These costs include loan origination fees, appraisal fees, title searches, title insurance, surveys, taxes, deed-recording fees and credit report charges. They are necessary, but they can certainly add to the total cost of your home purchase.

Clinch-Powell wants your input! We intend to apply for a grant to rehab houses in Morristown to improve the energy efficiency and repair any substandard systems in the house. The houses would sell to qualified lower income families with 100% loans. To qualify, you would need an annual income of roughly $18,000/yr and the payment would be about $452/month (including taxes and insurance).

Are you ready for this week's success story? Here we go:

A client of CPRCD was working as a home health CNA but her hours kept getting cut back which made it hard for her. Through the work of the Clinch-Powell Home Team and the Hardest Hit Fund, she was approved for 3 years of payment assistance; total funds allocated are $35,013.35. It has been a long road but it is so worth seeing her smile and say "Clinch-Powell Home Team was a life saver for me and my family! They were my voice. They were my wonderful and passionate advocate. They made me feel empowered."

Written By: Elizabeth Grisham

Appalachia is rich in beauty and culture. There is no place quite like it, and for centuries lives here have woven together, like squares on a quilt, to create a patchwork image of the triumph and hardship; the victory and adversity that make up the human story. As our Nation celebrates Black History Month, we would like to take a moment to reflect on a remarkable piece of East Tennessee History that played out here in Grainger County, only a few feet away from our beloved Bryan House: The History of Henderson Chapel AME Zion Church.