HOPE Coalition Discusses Potential Areas for Grant Funding

HOPE Neighborhood Garden

HOPE Coalition members met for their monthly meeting at the Lincoln School on Tuesday, February 20^th.  Lori Hammer, Executive Director, opened discussion on what type of programs would be most beneficial to local students, one that focused on alcohol and addiction or life skills and career development.  The Daniels Fund offers grants in eight different areas of life needs in Colorado and Wyoming.  The two discussed by the Coalition members falls within those categories which are:

• Youth programs, especially those that focus on career and technical education, and entrepreneurship
• Facilities that accommodate and encourage community gatherings (such as senior centers, youth centers, and community sports complexes)
• Proven programs that deliver prevention education and/or treatment for drug and alcohol addiction
• Collaborative initiatives/partnerships working to achieve community-wide results
• Programs that have regional impact, address community challenges at the systemic level, and/or generate strong local support from the community

The members in attendance leaned towards life skills, noting that several programs already exist that deal with drug and alcohol abuse and addiction, but there are few programs that teach such basics as a career search and resume building, balancing a checkbook and budgeting family funds, basic insurance requirements or career development. Hammer added as an example, that there is a national demand for nurses and nurse practitioners and recent legislation which passed the state house to enable nursing students to attain a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at a community college, would be beneficial to local students and local medical institutions.

Hammer said the Helping Hands Center in Lincoln School saw at least 75 clients on February 17^th and they selected as many as 400 clothing articles for their needs. The Helping Hands Center offers clothing to area residents every third Saturday of the month from 9 to 11am.

The One Step Up students have put the finishing touches on their bug welding project and are working on a future presentation to the Lamar City Council where they’ll ask permission to display the iron and metal, crafted critters at the site of the future skateboard park, now expected to be completed this August.

Hammer noted that Project HOPE received a $7,500 contribution from the Anschutz Foundation which had been sent this past November, but was only recently received. She said that was a 2017 contribution and believes that a similar contribution will be made at the end of this year. Other donations included $200 from LCM Missions, $100 from Prowers Medical Center and $700 from the District Attorney’s office.

By Russ Baldwin