How a Small Town’s Community Center Will Have a Big Impact
Dana, Indiana: Mark Bennett, Tribune-Star “Rural communities across Indiana and the nation have lost residents, businesses and entities that bind together little towns, such as schools, churches and social groups. Purdue University studied the trend of empty storefronts and dwindling job bases in small towns in 2015. The researchers found that Hoosier rural counties’ populations grew by 1.9% between 2000 and 2010, the last two federal census years, compared to a 9% growth for Indiana’s urban counties. The number of rural residents living in poverty rose 44%.”
“Like other small-town communities, Dana in Vermillion County is trying keep the community vibrant after the loss of population and jobs … Rural communities could become destinations again … a new community center would give Dana [Indiana] a step in that direction.”