FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Eric Day, Mid-Minnesota Development Commission
Phone: (320) 235-8504
Email: [email protected]
7 Organizations Awarded Mid-Minnesota Community Enhancement Grants
Funds Will Support Emergency Response and Improved Community Spaces
February 2022: Seven groups have been awarded Mid-Minnesota Community Enhancement Grants. This new opportunity is offered to support local communities and ensure high quality of life throughout the Mid-Minnesota Development Commission (MMDC) Region. Grants may be used to fund health, safety, or other wellness-focused training for community members and/or specific professional or volunteer groups; purchase of items needed for improved emergency response; procure items to enhance the ability of law enforcement to develop positive relationships with youth, people of color, and other groups; add public amenities that will promote physical and/or mental well-being or increase opportunities for positive community interaction (e.g., recreation equipment, walking path amenities); support workforce training opportunities for youth and other populations.
501(c)3 nonprofits, school districts and local government units located in Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, and Renville Counties are eligible to apply for Enhancement Grants of up to $3,000. For its inaugural year, the MMDC Board of Commissioners made $30,000 available for this effort and, to date, $16,373.97 has been awarded. The current list of awardees includes:
- New London Ambulance Service – Funds used to replace aging and unreliable mobile computer to improve and accelerate communication and documentation.
- Litchfield Downtown Council – Funds will be used to purchase and install benches in downtown Litchfield, helping to create visiting areas in formerly unoccupied spaces.
- Renville Fire Department – Funds will be used toward the installation of a new air-handling system to improve air quality and preserve firefighter health and safety.
- Sunburg Ambulance Service – Funds will be used to purchase handheld radios, to improve response and communication during emergencies.
- Willmar Parks and Recreation Department – Funds will be used toward the installation of a fountain, which will help create a new space for leisure and conversation, and reduce mosquito larvae, in what is currently a retention pond.
- Eden Valley Fire and Rescue Service – Funds will be used toward the replacement of aging firefighter turn-out gear, to protect firefighter safety.
- ProWorks, Inc. – Funds will be used to purchase an automatic electronic defibrillator (AED) unit and a number of first aid kits, for improved emergency response.
Funds for this effort are available as a result of MMDC’s contract work. To learn more about the grant opportunity or Mid-Minnesota Development Commission, visit MMRDC.org.