To understand why Energize Clinton County was created, you first need to know about the adversities of the city––Wilmington, Ohio––where the nonprofit was established.
Founders Mark Rembert and Taylor Stuckert explained, “Since 2008, our community has lost more than 8,500 jobs and faced a severe economic crisis. Energize Clinton County grew out of a citizen movement to broaden participation in economic development, and regain control of our local economy.”
We admired how many different problems Energize Clinton County is tackling:
- obtaining stimulus funding for renewable energy projects for the city of Wilmington
- helping businesses save money on bills by completing free energy audits
- promoting local businesses with a “Buy Local First” campaign
- working to promote a stronger focus on the small town
But they’ve run into a sort of catch-22 for funding:
“As our community continues to suffer the highest unemployment rate in the state, our long-term financial sustainability must include donors from outside the community. Unfortunately, many of these potential donors are disconnected from places like Wilmington.”
You don’t have to be a resident of Clinton County to help. If you believe in the cause, please donate so Energize Clinton County can strengthen their efforts in Wilmington and spread their ideas to other struggling communities. We agree that there are many cities in Ohio that could benefit from this approach and we wish them success in expanding the program.
