Rural America is in crisis. Rural communities suffer from higher rates of violence, substance abuse, suicide and poverty than their urban counterparts yet they are dramatically underrepresented in the distribution of resources to address these problems. At the Center for Rural Psychology we believe that rural values and lifestyle have served as a foundation for our culture. As a faith-based community organization we hope to strengthen that foundation in a time when fewer and fewer people are aware of our rural roots.
The Windmill    The windmill is the quintessential symbol of rural life. It provided life-giving water where none could be found on the surface and it tapped an abundant resource (wind) to bring out what was scarce. CRP similarly seeks to recover the riches beneath the surface of rural communities and bring abundant spiritual and mental health resources to those who have been chronically underserved.
Michael Mangis, Executive Director
There are basically two kinds of rural communities in the US–those that are being swallowed up by suburbs and those that are dwindling as their residents seek a living in more populated areas. About 90 percent of land in the United States is considered rural and less than 25% of the population lives there.

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In Iraq, 43.2 percent of the American war dead were from rural communities. Nationally, 22.5 percent of the population lives in towns under 20,000 in population.

 

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