Shonterria Charleston brings to her work both a military sense of duty to get the job done and dedication to serve those in need. Charleston has relied on both instincts during her 21 year career at the Housing Assistance Council, a national organization that helps build homes and communities across rural America. Charleston and her colleagues work with organizations in rural communities across the United States to help ensure that they have the funding, technical knowledge, training and information they need. Charleston arrived at HAC fresh from the U.S. Army.  She and her husband, both in the military at the

For decades, Oleta Garrett Fitzgerald has championed access to quality education and other vital resources for children and struggling families throughout the rural south. 

From the Rural Assembly: During these difficult times, we are committed to continuing to share stories of hope, resilience, and solidarity that strengthen our relationships across and within rural America. Please enjoy this most recent profile in the #RuralWomenLead Series of Teresa Kittridge, Founder of 100 Rural Women.  From an early age, Teresa Kittridge saw the disparity of women in leadership and knew that needed to change. “Growing up in a family of strong women, with incredible role models I had much encouragement that I could achieve leadership, that women’s voices and issues are important and equity is critical to

In her twenties, Starre Haas had two degrees, two kids, and many questions about her future.  Would she be a stay at home mom?  Would she stick to a career in accounting and finance, an industry that didn’t seem to fit her personality?  One trend had emerged: she was spending all of her free time volunteering in her new neighborhood of downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. She had fallen in love with the community, the houses, and the potential. Her hunger for public service grew as she volunteered in the neighborhood. But could she transition from a volunteer grassroots community activist