b'After participating in the BRE program, Tammy Eckhardt started a successful quilt shop inLewistown, MT.2013Building RuralEconomies launchRCAC aims to help rural communities recognizeGreen River, Utah. RCAC used both bank and and rely upon their natural assets to strength- USDA Rural Community Development Initiative en their economies. In 2013, RCAC launchedgrant funds to provide three years of training its Building Rural Economies (BRE) program.and technical assistance. At the same time, Through training in comprehensive communityRCACs Board of Directors committed $150,000 economic development, BRE encourages andper year of unrestricted funds to support pro-increases local entrepreneurship and job cre- gram growth for the first three years. Since its ation and develops catalytic projects that seedlaunch, BRE has worked with 23 communities in additional investments.its footprint, created nearly 100 new jobs and The first communities served under BRE wereretained nearly 30 existing jobs.Mora, New Mexico; Enterprise, Oregon; and RCAC 2019 Annual Report|9'