Several Poverty to Progress grants are closer to implementation after the city’s Community Development Advisory Committee recommended approval of all seven applications totaling $23,523.40. The city allocates $25,000 for Poverty to Progress grants each year.
These requests will go before City Council for final approval June 26.
Representatives from the education, child care, transportation, Poverty 101, legal systems, food disparity and pre-kindergarten education subcommittees presented their proposals and answered questions from the committee in a Thursday meeting.
Some committee members expressed concerns about applications from the education subcommittee exceeding the $5,000 threshold permitted for each subcommittee’s request because two education groups requested funds.
Education subcommittee co-chair Laura Hamilton told CDAC members this is because the education subgroup divided itself in two to better address the needs of the city’s students. She said her group is dedicated to assisting late elementary through high school students.
A second subgroup chaired by Dr. Terry Brennan is dedicated to increasing access to quality pre-kindergarten programs for all city children.
After discussion, the committee permitted both applications to proceed.
“I really think the challenges of one are not duplicated in the challenges of the other,” Vice Chair Randy Nelson said. “… I would see them standing on their own and [being] entitled to independent funding.”
Throughout the presentations, CDAC members peppered the subcommittee representatives with questions to drill down into how the grant funds will make a concrete difference in the fight to lower the city’s 24 percent poverty rate.
“When do we look at the outcomes and the impacts of these projects?” Mayor and CDAC Chair Joan Foster asked Assistant City Manager John Hughes during a discussion surrounding the funding request for the child care subgroup’s strategic action plan.
Foster said she wanted to ensure there were measurable aspects for all proposals if approved by City Council. Hughes and city grant manager Melva Walker confirmed the distribution of funds will include targets the groups must meet, and City Council will receive periodic updates on the subgroups’ progress.