Isabella County Restoration House, partners to apply for competition-based grant
Isabella County's homeless, hunger and unemployment services might get a much-needed boost if it qualifies for a competition-based grant project.
Charles Burke, Treasurer of the Isabella County Restoration House, asked city commissioners to give Mayor Jim Holton the approval to sign the grant at Monday's City Commission meeting in hopes they could get it in by the March 25 deadline.
Commissioners unanimously approved the request.
Winning "Americas Best Communities Contest" would mean millions of dollars for the organization and its seven partners.
Burke said the ICRH and its partners want to use the money to expand services, including adding hours to the county's rotating shelter intake center to better serve its homeless population. The shelter locations vary, but the intake center is at a fixed location and shuttles homeless individuals to the shelters.
Other projects that could be funded with the grant include reestablishing a physical location for the Community Compassion Network food bank and a center for job training and workplace etiquette for the unemployed and homeless.
The CCN lost its location in July and has been operating mobile food units since. The new training center would also provide showers, laundry services and would offer its homeless patrons a temporary physical mailing address — vital when applying for jobs.
The training program would "graduate" its students after nine months, Burke said. Those involved with the program will walk away with work experience, a resume and letters of recommendation.
America's Best Communities Contest is designed for communities with populations between 10,000 to 80,000 people and is sponsored by Frontier Communications and DISH Network. Isabella County falls in the 70,000 population range, Burke said.
The contest is aimed at incentivizing "a community's brightest and most innovative thinkers to develop meaningful strategies and plans that will transform their town or city," said Frontier CEO Maggie Wilderotter in a contest press release.
Even if they are accepted and stick around after the first cut, the city could see some amount of money granted to them. Burke said they could find out how they fared as soon as April or early May. Consolation money prizes range from $30,000 to $100,000.
Due to the need and the moving presentation, commissioners had little to discuss when it came time to approve the signature request.
Commissioner Kathy Ling said she was happy to see this grant come forward and was sure that the entire commission would offer its support.
