Hop in! We’re heading to six communities across the United States
We followed pandemic relief in two counties
You may remember our travels taking us to Springfield, MA, and Coeur d’Alene, ID, where city officials used relief funds to support transportation, housing, small businesses, and education during the first 18 months of the pandemic. Now, let’s take a look at Sheridan County, NE, and Marion County, GA, to see how federal relief funds impacted these communities.
Sheridan County
Responding to challenges that arose down the road
The third of six locations, Sheridan County was the first rural location we visited. While its population totals only 4,996, it’s the fourth largest county in the state with a land area of 2,441 square miles. The federal government provided more than $61 million across 31 pandemic relief programs and subprograms to address critical needs, including supporting public transportation agencies and developing learning loss remediation programs for local schools. Sheridan County residents reported feeling the effects of the pandemic more at the time of our visit in August 2022 than they did at the outset. The community experienced challenges centered on inflation, a housing shortage, and supply chain issues that affected the volunteer fire department, farmers, and a nonprofit organization.
Local organizations—the driving force of the community
Sheridan County officials used pandemic relief funding to assist the community in the following ways:
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers to Families Food Box (Food Box) Program made it possible for nonprofit staff to use food deliveries to distribute personal protection equipment and public health information to recipients.
- The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Coronavirus Relief Fund awarded a community resource center $147,732 to provide food, utility, and rental assistance to minority populations located in and around the county.
- The U.S. Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund helped prevent further teacher loss in the Gordon-Rushville Public School District, while supporting technological upgrades and facility improvements.
Read the full report to learn more about six of the federal programs that helped Sheridan County respond to and ease the effects of the pandemic.
Marion County
Supporting essential workers and students on the road to recovery
 Our fourth stop brought us to Marion County, which has a population of 7,449, located in Georgia. The federal government provided more than $38.8 million from 27 federal pandemic relief programs and subprograms to address critical needs, including offering support to essential workers with hazard pay, maintaining staff in essential positions, and developing learning loss remediation programs for local schools. At the time of our visit in December 2022, Marion County officials and local leaders reported successes and challenges in using federal funds to respond to the pandemic. For example, ESSER funds allowed the school system to build remote learning for students. Provider Relief Funds helped local nursing homes but leaders said that the payments were not sufficient to address long-term costs related to COVID.
Ensuring the community operates in top gear
Marion County officials used pandemic relief funding to impact the community in the following ways:
- The ESSER Program awarded the county approximately $7.6 million, which officials used to reduce class sizes, increase tutoring for students, and provide summer programming.
- The USDA fed thousands of community members through two recipient organizations of its Food Box Program.
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Public Housing Operating Fund provided the Buena Vista Housing Authority with $36,366 to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID. The funds also allowed for the continued management, equipment purchases, and related rehabilitation activities for its 79 housing units during the pandemic.
Read the full report to learn more about six of the federal programs that helped Marion County respond to and ease the effects of the pandemic.
Did federal funding help drive results?
Our tank is full, and we’re ready to share more valuable information about six diverse communities’ experiences with pandemic funding and programs. Stay tuned as we provide closer looks at two Tribal communities.
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