November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 47

For the past six years, I have spent
my career working in small-town,
rural America. I have worked in
the community and economic development
field, serving rural communities
as small as 500 people to
as large as 50,000 in Southeast Idaho.
The primary focus of my work
has been to assist these rural communities
to
continue to operate
and thrive. My work has consisted
of obtaining financial
assistance
for major infrastructure projects,
being at the table for short- and
long-term regional planning, hosting
community feedback sessions,
and taking on many other unique
opportunities.
After doing this type of work,
I became very fond of rural living
and its lifestyle. Because of
this, I sought out employment in
a rural community.
I
currently
serve as the recreation director for
Ephraim City, Utah (population
7,000) and have been in the role
for nearly four years. In my experience
working for rural communities
and rural park and recreation
agencies, I have found that there
are many different benefits and
challenges that are more common
to smaller communities.
Every community is different,
so not everything that is shared
may be pertinent to what your
community
or
organization
is
going through. Each community
has different financial supports,
political stances, community
champions, staffing resources,
community attitudes, and thousands
of other variables that form
the uniqueness and quirkiness of
each rural community. However,
the experiences that I will share
are those I frequently have encountered
and have heard about
many times from other rural park
and recreation professionals.
Making an Impact
Working in a rural park and recreation
agency offers myriad unique
benefits that foster a strong sense of
community and personal connections.
In this idyllic setting, employees
truly can immerse themselves
in the lives of the residents they
serve. One of the most remarkable
advantages is the intimate involvement
in what is going on within the
community. Unlike larger urban areas,
where people often get lost in
the shuffle, rural agencies provide
a chance to witness the direct impact
of their efforts. From organizing
local events and recreational
programs to maintaining community
parks, every task is undertaken
with a tangible purpose. This
hands-on approach not only allows
for a deep sense of fulfillment, but
also cultivates strong relationships
with community members. Working
in a rural park and recreation
agency means being more than
just an employee - it means becoming
an integral part of a closeknit
community, contributing to its
growth and experiencing the joy of
making a meaningful difference in
the lives of its residents.
However, despite the many rewards
of working in a rural park
and recreation agency, it is important
to acknowledge that there are
also unique challenges that come
with this
common challenges
setting. Here are four
that I have
witnessed in the rural communities
I have served and have heard from
others working in rural park and
recreation settings:
* Lack of financial resources
* Lack of planning and development
*
Lack of community partnerships
and collaborations
* Lack of sufficient staffing and
the absence of self-care
These challenges, although difficult,
should not be viewed as
roadblocks, but rather as speed
bumps. They will slow us down
from reaching our final destination,
but we are able to go over
them and get to where we want
to be. Let's dig a little deeper into
each of these four challenges and
identify different assets that can
aid your small-town park and
recreation agency in getting over
those speed bumps.
Working in a rural park and
recreation agency offers myriad
unique benefits that foster a
strong sense of community and
personal connections.
Lack of Financial Resources
It easily can be said that all park
and recreation agencies
face a
lack of available funding. However,
rural agencies often face financial
scarcity due to having smaller
populations and fewer businesses,
which results in a much smaller
tax base. Additionally, rural areas
may experience economic challenges,
such as a lack of major
industries and limited economic
development. Nonetheless, there
are means for rural communities
to thrive financially. The first one
is grants. There are millions of
dollars available specifically to
fund parks and recreation in rural
communities. The trick is to
know where to find this money.
One fantastic resource is to build
a relationship with your council/
association of governments.
These groups typically are nonprofit
organizations that have the
ultimate goal of benefiting your
community and others within a
certain region. Many of these orPARK
S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | NOVEMBER 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
47
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2023 - Parks & Recreation
