Adams County Awards $800,000 in Community Enrichment Grants

Adams County provides financial support to nonprofit programs each year through the Community Enrichment Grant. The purpose of the grant is to support programs that assist Adams County residents with their basic needs and to help people become self-sufficient.

This year there were 63 applications for $800,000 of funding. The grant requests totaled more than $2.5 million, and approximately one third of those organizations received their full funding request and were recognized by the Board of County Commissioners at public hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 16.

The Community Enrichment Grant Advisory Committee, which is comprised of Adams County residents, reviews the applications, meets weekly in the spring, and makes a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners on the applications. The committee members who were involved with the process this year are: Fredrick Alfred, Ken Cianco, Vince Chowdary, RJ Delaney, Joann Vondracek, and Abel Wurmnest.

The grants were awarded to the following organizations.

A Child's Song, Inc. – This nonprofit is receiving a $12,500 grant to provide in-school and afterschool music and movement classes to Adams County youth from preschool to 12th grade. Last year, this organization served more than 2,000 Adams County youth.

A Precious Child – This organization provides economically disadvantaged children and their parents with case management, support services, and basic living essentials. Services include housing assistance, food access, and mental and physical health referrals. The organization is awarded a $40,000 grant to support these services for Adams County residents.

Adams County Education Consortium – This organization is awarded a $20,000 grant to support career exploration and apprenticeship events for high school students. These interactive events will be available to students in seven school districts and one charter school located in Adams County.

Audio Information Network of Colorado, Inc. – This organization provides audio services for the blind, low-vision, and print-impaired community. Audio Information Network is receiving a $40,000 grant to create audio recordings of printed material and deliver podcasts for visually impaired residents living in Adams County.

Bal Swan Children's Center – This children’s center serves preschool-age children with disabilities. Last year, the program served 250 children from Adams County. The $20,000 grant will fund developmental, therapeutic, and mental health support for the students. This support work, performed by an occupational therapist, will help prepare the children to succeed in the public school system.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver – Adams County is awarding this organization a $30,000 grant to support afterschool and summer programming at the Boys & Girls Club locations in the county. These locations include the Colorado Sports Leadership Academy located in unincorporated Adams County, the Shopneck club in Brighton, the Suncor club in Commerce City, and the Westminster club. The Boys & Girls Club seeks to develop school-aged youth in the areas of academic success, character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles.

Colfax Community Network, Inc. – This program seeks to provide stability to transient families living along Colfax Avenue. This $25,000 grant will pay for homework help and tutoring for children in the afterschool literacy and STEM program for children experiencing homelessness. 83 percent of the Colfax Community Network afterschool participants are from Adams County.

Early Childhood Partnership of Adams County (ECPAC) – ECPAC is receiving a $35,000 grant to fund care navigation for families with children 8 and under. This organization will also assist preschool and childcare centers to improve the quality of early education and childcare.

Every Child Pediatrics – This organization is receiving a $30,000 grant to provide pediatric and behavioral healthcare services for low-income children living in Adams County. Every Child Pediatrics experienced a dramatic increase in behavioral health visits during the pandemic. As a result, they have expanded options for services to help more children.

Family Tree – This organization promotes safety, healing, and stability of children and families and prevention of abuse, violence, and homelessness. Family Tree is receiving a $30,000 grant to fund skills training for parenting, child safety, and child health. Last year, this program served 54 Adams County families.

Food for Thought – This organization strives to eliminate weekend hunger for children by providing a take-home bag at the end of the school week filled with enough food to prepare eight meals. Food for Thought is receiving a $15,000 grant to serve children attending schools in south Adams County.

Foster Source – This organization provides support, training, and resources to foster and kinship parents to help them care for the vulnerable children in their care. Foster Source is receiving a $10,000 grant to provide urgent items such as food and diapers to respond to emergent needs of foster and kinship families in Adams County. Last year, 510 families were served through this program.

Growing Home – This organization is receiving a $40,000 grant to support the Strengthening Families program. The program stabilizes at-risk families with rent, mortgage, and utility assistance, paired with case management to help families identify root causes of housing instability and develop long-term plans for stable and affordable housing. The program also includes access to a food pantry. Growing Home served approximately 7,000 people last year.

Home Builders Foundation of Metropolitan Denver – This organization is receiving a $20,000 grant to construct and install accessible home modifications for individuals with long-term disabilities residing in Adams County. There is no cost to the homeowners for the modifications. Home modifications include ramps, door widenings, bathroom accessibility upgrades, and flooring improvements.

Junior Achievement – This organization provides classes and programs on financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Junior Achievement is receiving a $30,000 grant to serve Adams County students from kindergarten to 12^th grade and expects to serve 750 local students this year.

Kids First Health Care – This organization provides pediatric primary care for children of low-income families. The healthcare sites are located in schools as well as at community-based offices. This $40,000 grant will support the Kids First Health integrated service model that provides patients with a team of health professionals, including a pediatrician, mental health counselor, dental health professional, and health educator.

Little Giants Learning Center – This childcare provider is receiving a $20,000 grant to provide discounts and financial assistance on childcare to low-income families who are struggling financially. Little Giants served 44 families from Adams County last year.

PlatteForum – This organization was established in 2002 to offer innovative arts education programming for youth from historically marginalized communities. PlatteForum is receiving a grant of $7,500 to support the afterschool ArtLab program. This program has successfully inspired students to stay in school and graduate from high school on time.

Project Angel Heart – This organization prepares and delivers medically tailored meals for critically ill people. Project Angel Heart served 668 Adams County residents last year and expects to serve over 500 this year. The organization is receiving a $30,000 grant to cover the gap in expenses to serve Adams County residents.

Ralston House – This child advocacy center works with law enforcement, human services, and the community to provide a safe place to investigate potential child abuse situations. Ralston House is receiving a $30,000 grant to partially fund a forensic interviewer and a bilingual staff member. Ralston House provided 644 forensic interviews to children from Adams County in 2021.

Ray of Hope Cancer Foundation – This organization provides emergency financial support to residents battling cancer and struggling to pay for their basic needs. Ray of Hope is receiving a $10,000 grant to assist 20 Adams County families. Last year, the organization served 64 families living in Adams County.

Reach Out and Read – This organization distributes books, completes developmental assessments, and provides caregivers with guidance on teaching literacy to children during well child check-ups at 28 clinics across Adams County. 77% of the children and families served through Reach Out and Read live in poverty. The organization has been awarded a $10,000 grant to support this program in Adams County.

Restoration Outreach Programs – This organization is awarded a $10,000 grant to provide resources such as food, English as a Second Language classes, and workforce readiness to those living in poverty along the East Colfax corridor. This year, Restoration Outreach Programs is opening a hospitality room for unhoused individuals to stop in for coffee, a shower, and to learn about resources. Last year, Restoration Outreach Programs served almost 2,000 Adams County residents.

Richard Lambert Foundation – This grassroots organization provides low- or no-cost grief bereavement counseling to youth and adults. The Richard Lambert Foundation is receiving a $10,000 grant to support Adams County residents in need of these services.

Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center – This organization provides a day program for adults with severe neurological disabilities resulting from MS, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. Rocky Mountain MS is receiving a $10,000 grant to support the costs for Adams County residents to participate in the program. Last year, Rocky Mountain MS served 27 Adams County residents.

Save Our Youth – This organization will provide one-on-one mentoring and supplemental education programs for teens during out-of-school time with a grant of $10,000. Save Our Youth typically serves approximately 250 youth ages 12-18 each year.

Second Chance Center – This organization is receiving a $50,000 grant to provide transitional housing for formerly incarcerated people who are actively involved in the center’s community re-entry programs. The transitional housing units are located in Adams County. This year, Second Chance Center expects to serve 24-48 people through this program, depending on their length of assistance needed.

The Senior Hub, Inc. – The Senior Hub is receiving a $35,000 grant to address ongoing food insecurity of older adults in Adams County through its food pantry and Food Market Nights, which are both free to Senior Hub clients. The organization also distributes a resource guide in Spanish and English through these food programs with information on resources to address other basic needs. Based on the last few years, The Senior Hub expects to serve over 2,000 individuals through the food programs in 2022.

Seniors’ Resource Center – This organization provides programs to help older adults stay in their homes independently. Last year, Seniors’ Resource Center helped 279 Adams County residents with housekeeping services, meal preparation, chore assistance, and respite care. Seniors’ Resource Center is awarded a $10,000 grant to continue to provide these services.

Thrive Food Bank – This food pantry program has been operating out of a shared space one day a week to serve people living in Federal Heights, Thornton, Westminster, and unincorporated Adams County. Last year the food bank served more than 3,000 people. This was a 50 percent increase from the prior year. Thrive Food Bank is receiving a $20,000 grant to help expand their space or secure refrigeration and storage for the increased need.

Wedontwaste – This organization recovers unused foods from restaurants, caterers, producers, and distributers and redistributes the food to people through food pantry programs. Wedontwaste is receiving a grant in the amount of $50,000 to continue providing food to Adams County food pantries and mobile food markets. Last year, Wedontwaste distributed the equivalent of 225,000 meals.

Westminster Public Schools Foundation – The foundation is receiving a $30,000 grant to provide financial support for basic living and health needs to students and their families experiencing financial hardships. Families served will be below 185 percent of the federal poverty level. The foundation provides financial assistance to approximately 600 families each school year.

Whiz Kids Tutoring – This organization provides academic tutoring and mentoring to low-income children. This past year, Whiz Kids served approximately 45 students at four locations in Adams County. A $10,000 grant is intended to help Whiz Kids assist more youth in Adams County.