Greenwood officials got creative with some of the city’s CARES Act money, pairing it with federal grant money to give 10 area nonprofits, schools and community projects more than $1 million.
The City of Greenwood received more than $1 million in grant money from the federal Community Development Block grant program this year, money awarded to cities annually to be used for community development projects, including housing, food pantries or senior services improvements, for example.
Greenwood also got more than $500,000 in money from the CARES Act to spend on local nonprofits, so the city chose 10 nonprofits and city projects to split the $1.5 million.
“We’re very proud of this program and want to help local organizations, businesses and residents as much as we can to offset challenges caused by the global pandemic,” Mayor Mark Myers said in a statement. “The funding will support a number of exceptional efforts designed to serve our community.”
The largest chunk of money — more than $300,000 — went to the Northeast Skatepark remodel, a long-awaited community project.
Some key changes to the 7,800-square-foot skatepark will include a concrete surface instead of asphalt, several new, bigger ramps contoured into the concrete, and stairs and railings for users to skate and perform tricks.
The design was also updated to include mini quarter pipes, bowl pockets with jumps, various stair combo sets, a China bank with a manual and more.
Another large sum of money went to United Way of Johnson County. The local nonprofit received more than $117,000 total from the grant. It was given the first $100,000 last July, from Greenwood’s initial CARES Act distribution.
With that $100,000, United Way helped 54 Greenwood families who were struggling to pay their bills during the pandemic, said Nancy Lohr Plake, executive director of United Way Johnson County.
The rest of the money will go toward United Way’s No Place to Call Home, a financial assistance and case management program for those at risk of being homeless.
“We felt very privileged and very honored that they chose us as one of the first to get this money,” Lohr Plake said. “It’s a real honor to be one of those agencies chosen, and that they have confidence in what we do.”
Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis received $95,000. That money will go toward paying tuition for Greenwood residents who want to earn a certificate in logistics, machine tooling or information technology support from the college, said Chris Shilling, a spokesperson for Ivy Tech.
“This offers them a chance to start a new career or advance in their current career,” Shilling said. “We are sincerely grateful to the City of Greenwood for providing this funding and partnering with Ivy Tech to enrich the lives of our area residents.”
Another educational institution receiving grant money is Westwood Elementary School, which will get more than $170,000 to upgrade its playground equipment for children with disabilities, said Dr. Kent DeKoninck, superintendent of Greenwood Community Schools.
The remainder went to local nonprofits Bridges Alliance of Johnson County, Kids in Crisis – Intervention Team, or KIC-IT, The Social of Greenwood, Gleaners Mobile Food Bank, Our Lady of the Greenwood Church and Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi Roman Catholic Church.
Greenwood is now accepting a new round of applications. Interested organizations can apply online at www.greenwood.in.gov/cdbg.
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Here is a look at local nonprofits, schools and community projects that received grants from the Community Development Block Grant program and Greenwood’s CARES Act allocation:
Bridges Alliance: $10,630
Gleaners Mobile Food Bank: $10,000
Ivy Tech Community College: $95,653
Kids in Crisis (KIC-IT): $65,000
Northeast Park Skate Park: $347,250
Our Lady of the Greenwood Church: $30,000
Saints Francis & Clare of Assisi Roman Catholic Church and School: $25,000
The Social of Greenwood: $10,500
United Way: $117,826
Westwood Elementary School: $177,904
Greenwood is accepting a new round of applications for these grants. Interested organizations can apply online at www.greenwood.in.gov/cdbg.
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