Henry praises community organizations addressing needs, citizen advisers who helped set funding priorities
Mayor Tom Henry joined a group of 6- and 7-year-olds who are attending Wellspring's Daycamp at First Presbyterian Church this morning to announce 2009 Community Development Block Grant allocations from the City of Fort Wayne. The Wellspring program, which targets children from low income families, is one of the programs receiving part of the $235,000 in funds for public services.
“The Community Development Block Grant program is one of the few examples of federal money coming into our community where local decisions affect its use,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “A group of citizen advisers helps me set the priority for how the funds will be allocated and what challenges will be addressed with this funding. In this time of increasing need and decreasing resources, we strive to distribute the funds in such a way that we make each dollar go as far as it can.”
Mayor Henry said the CDBG funds for public services have been prioritized to the greatest needs in our community. He commended the many agencies and organizations capably working to address the most pressing concerns, and said these grants will help support and maintain programs that lift up and assist senior citizens, low-income families, refugees, and those who need job training or health services.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) annual grants on a formula basis to entitled cities and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.
CDBG funds can be used for a variety of activities including public infrastructure improvements, rehabilitation, acquisition, clearance (demolition), economic development, and public services. The City is allowed to spend a portion of the CDBG allotment on public services. Public services include (but are not limited to) child care, health care, job training, recreation programs, education programs, public safety services, services for seniors, and services for homeless persons. The $235,000 allocations in today's announcement comprise the public services portion of the entire Block Grant.
CDBG: Where does it come from?
The City of Fort Wayne receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds annually from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The amount awarded is based on a formula taking into account many factors, including population and other characteristics. In 2009 the City is receiving $2,132,451. This is the first time since 2003 that Fort Wayne has not experienced a cut in CDBG funds. Last year, the City expected a 10-15% reduction each year going forward, but this year the amount stayed about the same and did not decrease, which allows more funding support than the City had anticipated being able to offer.
CDBG: The City's Grant Application Process
Each year the City takes applications from local non-profit organizations for funding social service programs. The City receives anywhere between 30 and 50 applications annually. Funding decisions are made based on a needs assessment and public community meetings completed as part of the five-year Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan identifies what services the community needs and places a priority on those services. The Plan serves as the basis for allocating the CDBG funds over the next five years and gets updated at least annually.
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2009
Community Development Block Grant Funding Amounts |
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Applicant |
Activity |
Funding
Amount |
Program
Description |
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African Immigrants Social and Economic Development Agency |
Job Coaching Initiative |
$10,000 |
Provide
job coaching, skills training, application training, and on the job mentoring
to African refugees. |
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Associated Churches of |
Associated Churches Food Bank |
$14,000 |
Provide
food through 26 food pantry sites. |
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Blue Jacket, Inc. |
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$10,000 |
Program
provides ex-felons with the skills and opportunities necessary to earn
transitional and/or permanent employment. |
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Catholic Charities of the Diocese of |
Refugee Resettlement |
$10,000 |
Provide
case management and resettlement services to recently resettled refugees. |
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City of |
Neighborhood Clean-Up |
$17,000 |
Provide
dumpsters and haul away for neighborhoods wanting to clean up debris and
abandoned tires. |
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East Allen County Schools |
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$10,000 |
Provide
Autumn Woods Apartment residents with supportive services to meet ongoing
needs and to help these families keep their children in school |
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$10,000 |
Provide
prenatal visits and lab screening for women awaiting Medicaid eligibility
approval. |
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Healthier Moms and Babies |
$10,000 |
Health
education and case management for low-income, high-risk pregnant women. |
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$7,500 |
Provide
job skills training to high school age children. |
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Pre-Job Skills Training |
$7,500 |
Provide
instruction and assistance that educates and equips children for economic
self-reliance and provides adults the skills they need to attain economic
self-sufficiency through good jobs |
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Pre-Apprenticeship |
$7,000 |
Prepare
candidates for employment in the construction field. |
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Genesis Outreach |
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$8,000 |
Workforce
development training center for homeless in which clients are employed in a
"paid internship"-style setting while gaining necessary job skills
for today's workforce. |
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Mental Health Association in |
Mental Health Association Client Advocacy for the Mentally Ill |
$9,000 |
Provide
client advocacy for the mentally ill to individuals including options for
care and treatment. |
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Skills Training Program |
$8,000 |
Provide
refugee and immigrants with employment skills. |
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Neighborhood Health Clinics |
Healthcare for Burmese Residents of |
$14,000 |
Provide
medical and dental services to Burmese population. |
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Super Shot, Inc. |
Free Immunization Clinics for Children |
$9,000 |
Provide
26 free monthly immunization clinics to provide immunizations to children for
childhood diseases. |
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The Reclamation Project, Inc |
English as a New Language(ENL) & Transportation Instruction for
Refugees |
$10,000 |
Program
helps aid and assist in the English language development of newly resettled
adult refugees. |
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Turnstone's Residential |
$9,000 |
Provide
wheelchair access ramps to |
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United Hispanic Americans, Inc. |
Bilingual Employment Support Services |
$9,000 |
Provide
job skills and job search training education to individuals in Spanish and
English, as well as computer literacy workshops twice a month. |
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United Way of |
Ready to Learn/Ready Schools |
$10,000 |
Provides
an existing network of collaborative partners to better meet the educational
needs of the City's most vulnerable children. |
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United Way of |
Earned Income Tax Credit Program: Put Money in your Pocket |
$5,000 |
Outreach
efforts to low- and moderate-income workers who can benefit from the federal
and state Earned Income Tax Credit through free, local tax preparation
services. |
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Wellspring Interfaith Social Services, Inc. |
Wellspring Food Bank |
$14,000 |
This
program provides food and personal hygiene needs up to once-per-month for
individuals and families residing primarily in the central city. |
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Wellspring Interfaith Social Services, Inc. |
Wellspring Summer Day |
$9,000 |
Provide
summer day camp to low-income children. |
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Wellspring Interfaith Social Services, Inc. |
Wellspring Older Adult Program |
$8,000 |
This
program helps provide physical, nutritional and cognitive support for seniors
through various activities on a daily basis. |
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Total: |
$235,000 |
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