Many rural areas in the U.S. Midwest have been experiencing net population losses for years, raising concerns about the survival of these communities.1 Fewer people mean not only a reduced workforce and diminished taxpayer base, but also fewer customers for local businesses, lower participation rates in community institutions (faith-based organizations, civic leadership, social service professionals2, etc.) and even reduced social-networking opportunities (lessening the community’s...

Unemployment claims nationwide are soaring. According to the Department of Labor, in the week ending March 28, 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits – doubling the previous week’s level of 3.3 million. In March, the State of Illinois began issuing stay-at-home orders and non-essential businesses were told to cease operations temporarily. Many essential businesses have restructured their operations as a result of the new social distancing...