By Sara Beth Williams–
In an April 25 Citrus Heights City Council meeting, the council unanimously voted to award $67,000 in grant funding to 10 different nonprofit organizations.
After reviewing Community Projects Grant program applications from 12 nonprofit organizations, four City Council members voted to award the full $50,000 allotted from a Community Projects Grant fund to eight different nonprofits.
Councilmember MariJane Lopez-Taff recused herself from the first vote because of an existing relationship with one of the nonprofit applicants. All other council members voted in favor.
Nonprofits receiving grant awards included the Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART), Junior Achievement of Sacramento, the Kiwanis Club, Empact, International Association of Human Values, The Foundation Inc./The Glass Slipper, The Purple Pageant, and The Healing Palette.
History and Arts Grant funding was also unanimously approved by the council with an award of $2,000 out of $20,000 in the fund to go to The Healing Palette for the construction of a mural project. According to the applicant, the mural will measure approximately 41-by-2 feet, slated for the corner of Fair Oaks Boulevard and Wachtel Way. The council also awarded The Healing Palette $1,000 from the Community Projects Grant program funding, which will go toward the same mural project, totaling $3,000.
Additional funding was unanimously approved by the council for $17,000 in Community Support funds to got to the Sunrise Christian Food Ministry and the Veterans Golf Park/Veterans Community Center. The Sunrise Christian Food Ministry requested funds for the purchase of a trailer that would allow them to more easily and efficiently complete mobile food deliveries, and the Veterans Community Center requested funds to use in building an onsite storage space.
All applications were reviewed using the city’s Grant and Incentive Program Scoring Rubric to ensure they met specific eligibility requirements and demonstrated the ability to create community connection and engagement through their requests, according to the city. Only applicants who received a minimum score of 23 on their application were considered for an award.
