Supporting Those Who Support Rural America: Foundation for Rural Service Awards 26 Grants in 2019 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: Carolyn Just [email protected] (703) 351-2015

Arlington, Va., (November 21, 2019)— When Marcy Sailer of Mercer County Ambulance Service saw the call for applications from West River Telecommunications Cooperative for a Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) grant, she knew the ambulance service had to apply. West River, a member of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, endorsed the ambulance service for the grant, which FRS awarded in 2018. 

“We serve over 1,000 square miles, and GPS does not always work in the country,” Sailer said.

The ambulance service received four new laptops equipped with a mapping system that gives ambulance drivers directions to the most remote locales—critical in emergencies. The laptops also allow drivers to submit patient care reports and upload patient information on their way to the hospital.   

This year, FRS awarded $100,000 via 26 grants to advance quality of life and enable economic development in rural America. The grants, coupled with access to broadband-enabled solutions, will improve educational offerings, local job markets, the ability to provide telemedicine and first response emergency services, and more.

From establishing a cybersecurity skills summer camp for high schoolers to providing modern technology to the volunteer fire department, FRS grants make an impact across rural America.

“The Foundation for Rural Service is so humbled by the work of our grant awardees,” said FRS Executive Director Pam Becker. “It is an honor to hear their stories of collaboration with and dedication to the communities they serve. We are grateful for their hard work, the amazing telcos that endorsed them, and our generous donors that contribute to the grant program.”

For a complete list of awardees, click here

FRS Community Grant donors are: Womble Bond Dickinson, Ericsson, NISC, Mapcom Systems, RTFC, and Toly Digital.
 

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