Adams County Commissioners Award More Than $800,000 in Community Enrichment Grants

On Tuesday, Aug. 1, the Adams County Board of Commissioners (BoCC) awarded more than $800,000 in Community Enrichment Grants to 30 nonprofit organizations working in the county. These grants support programs to assist county residents with their basic needs and to help them become self-sufficient.

“The Board strongly believes in the power of partnerships between the public and nonprofit sectors to address some of our most pressing challenges,” said Steve O’Dorisio, BoCC Chair. “By strategically distributing grants to nonprofits, we foster innovation, empower communities, and create lasting social impact. It is our collective responsibility to support these organizations as they work tirelessly to improve lives and build a brighter future for all, including some of our most vulnerable residents.”

The Community Enrichment Grant Advisory Committee, which is comprised of Adams County residents, reviews the applications and makes a recommendation to the BoCC on distributing the funds. The committee members this year are Frederick Alfred, Ken Ciancio, Richard Delaney, Jodie Schenck, Marty Sos, JoAnn Vondracek, and Abel Wurmnest. The funding for these grants comes from Adams County’s general fund.

The recipients of the 2023 Community Enrichment Grants are:

• A Precious Child is receiving a $50,746 grant to provide families with children who are struggling financially with wrap-around support services and basic living essentials.
• ACCESS Housing of Adams County is receiving a $20,000 grant award to provide rent and utility assistance for Adams County residents who are not eligible for other rent assistance programs.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver is receiving a $50,000 grant to support afterschool and summer programming at the Boys & Girls Club locations in the county.
• The Center for People with Disabilities is receiving $20,000 to assist residents with various services, including training in adaptive technology, understanding transportation systems, and employment services.
• The Colorado Center for the Blind is receiving a $10,000 grant to provide academic support, life skills mentoring, and technology training for students with visual disabilities who reside in Adams County.
• Every Child Pediatrics is receiving a $30,000 grant to provide pediatric and behavioral healthcare services for low-income children living in Adams County.
• Family Tree is receiving a $30,000 grant to fund a nationally recognized, evidence-based training program for parents and caregivers on child safety, child health, and child development.
• Focus Points Family Resource Center is receiving a $30,000 grant to fund early education programs, English classes, mental health counseling, and emergency financial assistance for Adams County families with children under age six.
• Food Bank of the Rockies is receiving a $20,000 grant to source, secure, and distribute food for individuals experiencing food insecurity.
• Food for Thought is receiving a $15,000 grant to help 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.
• Hope House of Colorado is receiving $30,000 grant to expand self-sufficiency programs for at-risk teen moms. These programs include high school, GED, and college tutoring, as well as financial literacy training, legal assistance, and licensed counseling.
• Junior Achievement will receive $20,000 to provide classes and programs on financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship to youth ages five to 18.
• Kids First Health Care is receiving a $50,000 grant that will support their integrated service model that provides patients with a team of health professionals, including a pediatrician, mental health counselor, dental health professional, and health educator.
• Kids in Need of Dentistry is awarded a grant for $48,697 to expand oral healthcare services for youth from low-income families living in Adams County.
• Little Giants Learning Center is receiving a $25,000 grant to provide discounts and financial assistance for childcare to low-income families who are struggling financially and do not meet the qualifications of other childcare assistance programs.
• Ralston House is receiving a $60,000 grant to partially fund forensic interviewer and victim advocate salaries to help provide a safe place to investigate potential child abuse situations.
• Reach Out and Read is receiving a $15,000 grant to distribute books, perform developmental assessments, and provide caregivers with guidance on teaching literacy to children during well child check-ups at 28 clinics across Adams County.
• Restoration Outreach Programs is awarded a $20,000 grant to provide resources such as GED and English as a Second Language classes, job training, and workforce readiness to those living in poverty along the East Colfax corridor.
• Revital Colorado is receiving a $25,000 grant to support therapeutic services for firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement who reside or serve in Adams County.
• The Richard Lambert Memorial Foundation is receiving a $10,000 grant to provide no-cost grief support and low-cost professional counseling to youth and adults living in Adams County.
• Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center is receiving a $10,000 grant to support the costs for Adams County residents to participate in a day program for adults with severe neurological disabilities resulting from MS, stroke, and traumatic brain injury.
• Save Our Youth will provide one-on-one mentoring and supplemental education programs for teens during out-of-school time with a grant of $10,000.
• Special Olympics Colorado is receiving a grant of $25,000 to coordinate athletic activities and perform health screenings for Adams County residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• The Stout Street Foundation will receive a grant for $17,057 to assist addicts and alcoholics with GED training and certification as they rehabilitate, recover, and return to society as productive and responsible residents.
• Volunteers of America Colorado Branch is awarded a $7,500 grant to provide exercise programs for frail seniors who need to build strength and increase flexibility to reduce their risk of falls.
• We Don’t Waste is receiving a grant in the amount of $50,000 to recover unused food from restaurants, caterers, producers, and distributers and redistribute the food to people through food pantry programs.
• Westminster Public Schools Foundation is receiving a $30,000 grant to provide financial support for basic living and health needs to low-income students and their families experiencing financial hardships.
• Whiz Kids Tutoring is receiving a $15,000 grant to train and support tutors, perform background checks on tutors, create student learning materials, and purchase student incentives for low-income children struggling with literacy skills.
• Work Options is receiving a $36,000 grant to pilot an early access option for the Culinary Job Skills Training program to provide hard-to employ individuals with job readiness training, case management, and financial incentives.
• Young Americans Center for Financial Education is receiving a $20,000 grant to provide financial literacy programs for youth attending Adams County middle schools.