The state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) announced $44,540 in funding to help prostitutes get out of the sex trade, fix cars for low-income residents and find better ways to distribute food to free meal providers.
The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Innovation Fund Review Panel met last week to review proposals. The Panel received 24 proposals with $300,000 in requested funding and total project costs of well over $1 million.
Marijo Olson, CTED’s Community Services Division assistant director, approved the panel’s three top choices for grant recipients.
The winners of the 2005 CSBG Innovation Fund grant are:
Fremont Public Association (FPA) — $15,000 for its “Working Wheels Community Garage” to help create Seattle’s first and only non-profit garage for low-income working families to help them find and keep jobs. The garage will also provide a series of preventative maintenance classes to help clients learn how to proactively care for their cars.
Metropolitan Development Council (MDC) — $15,000 for its “Prostitution Diversion & Recovery Program” which will serve homeless adult women in Pierce County with an arrest record who have been involved in street prostitution and who want to leave the sex trade. The program will provide emergency care and safety, drug treatment resources and transitional housing to help participants avoid returning to the criminal justice system.
Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs (SNAP) — $14,540 for its “Meal Providers Coalition” to help improve food coordination among area free meal providers to homeless and low-income residents. Some meal providers struggle to get food, while others must throw away unused food because of spoilage. The program will help providers get resources to meal sites efficiently and delivered in a timely way.
“These grants show the tremendous innovation among Community Action Agencies statewide,” Olson said. “They are helping pave the way to better lives for people in need.”
The CSBG Innovation Fund supports the work of agencies to improve or develop new programs and services to Washington state residents. The funding encourages local communities to develop innovative partnerships with a wide range of methods.
The programs with the best results will be showcased to other communities.
The agencies identify a community need, set standards and measure results using the federally recognized Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) system.
CTED’s Community Services Block Grant provides funding, technical assistance and support to 31 statewide Community Action Agencies (CAAs) to ease and eliminate poverty.
CAAs provide services like housing, energy assistance, nutrition, employment and training as well as transportation, family development, health care, emergency food and shelter, money management and micro business development.
CTED is the lead state agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable community and economic vitality in Washington State. For more information, please visit http://www.cted.wa.gov.
