Region-Wide

*Due to the ongoing Covid-19 travel restrictions for most of the time period of this grant, approval was given by Ala-Tom RC&D’s Executive Director Marie Lowder to refocus the grant in Spring of 2021. The new focus was around The Alabama Mural Trail development, a perfect fit for social distancing and instate road trips.*

The goal of the Alabama Mural Trail is to provide the state of Alabama a sense of community, to drive economic impact, and to bring people together. By inventorying and promoting murals statewide, UACED hopes to encourage both locals and tourists to find some place new and discover the beautiful art Alabama has to offer.

Placemaking through murals is a key aspect to the Alabama Mural Trail. ​Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness, and well-being.

With this new focus the grant supported the following:

• Photography of 41 murals in the Ala-Tom Region by a professional and published photographer – John Dersham, of murals in the Ala-Tom RC&D Region for The Alabama Mural Trail – #SweetHomeMurals
• GPS location marked for future app and website use for tourist to visit the location and mark as a passport type entry
• Trail markers designed, produced and placed on the murals
• Public Art Archives Showcase Listing of the Murals and Mapping Collection for world wide marketing and access
• Mural Trail website landing page with feature of the murals in the Ala-Tom region
• 10,000 Mural Trail Rack Cards designed, printed and distributed throughout the state including all the counties in the Ala-Tom Region

 

 

As part of a national aging network, Alabama Tombigbee Area Agency on Aging provides many services to the senior and disabled population of Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox counties.  We strive to reach older individuals with the greatest economic and social needs with particular attention given to low-income minority elders, individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals with disabilities, individuals at risk of institutional placement, and individuals residing in rural areas.  The Area Agency on Aging advocates for seniors and helps them plan and manage their lives through a system of home and community-based services to maintain a lifetime of independence and dignity.

The SenioRx program is a prescription assistance program offered by the Area Agency on Aging.  The goal of SenioRx is to assist qualified individuals to obtain free or low-cost brand name prescriptions from pharmaceutical companies.  Those who qualify must be 55 years of age or older or disabled, with no prescription drug coverage and having a chronic medical condition.  They must also meet specific income limits.  Persons with insurance coverage who fall into the Medicare Part D coverage gap may also qualify for the program.

Nature and heritage based tourism provides a positive economic impact in our region and statewide. A project of the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UCED) highlights all the things to see and do in our region, promoting civic pride within the area and attracting tourists and their dollars from outside the region.

Utilizing nature and heritage based tourism is an important economic development strategy, UACED will develop and distribute promotional material for the area. (All 9 counties)