Welfare to Microenterprise : A Community-Based Approach to Sustainable Enterprise

The activities of the Lightstone CommunityDevelopment Corporation (LCDC) of West Virginia are described as a case studyof a community-based approach to building social, economic, and communityassets to enable individuals to transition from welfare to self-employment.LCDC provided zero-interest bridge loans to farmers to make it possible forthem to accept and redeem Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) coupons fromlow-income customers.Micro-loans were offered to low-income individualswanting to start their own businesses in conjunction with counseling from theSmall Business Development Center.LCDC worked with other community groupsto change state policies that were barriers to low-income individuals startingbusinesses.It appears from the experience of LCDC that a community-basedapproach with strong partnerships at the state level can be a very effectivemeans for rural communities in providing comprehensive approaches to enablingindividuals to transition to self-employment. (LMH)