FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Eric Day, Mid-Minnesota Development Commission
Phone: (320) 235-8504
Email: [email protected]
ProWorks Receives Mid-Minnesota Community Enhancement Grant
Organization Uses Grant to Fund First Aid Kits and an AED Unit
February 2023: In 2022, ProWorks, Inc. was awarded small Mid-Minnesota Community Enhancement Grant from the Mid-Minnesota Development Commission (MMDC). The supportive employer and service provider for people with disabilities was granted $1,690 toward the purchase of first aid kits for their sites and vehicles, as well as an Automatic Electronic Defibrillator (AED). While this bigger-ticket item was delayed due to a backlog of orders, the AED is now installed at ProWorks’ Again & Again thrift store, in Litchfield.
“According to the American Red Cross, cardiac arrest victims who received a chock from a publicly-available AED had far greater chances of survival than those who didn’t”, said ProWorks Designated Coordinator Dave Kotzenmacher. “This equipment will benefit ProWorks as well as the greater community.”
Initiated in 2021, the Mid-Minnesota Community Enhancement Grant provides a funding opportunity for 501(c)3 nonprofits, school districts, and local units of government within the MMDC Region (Counties of Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, and Renville). Organizations may apply for enhancement grants of up to $3,000 which can be used to:
- Provide health, safety, or wellness-focused training for community members or specific professional or volunteer groups;
- Purchase supplies and/or equipment needed for improved emergency response;
- Purchase items to enhance law enforcement organization’s ability 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.
To date, 16 Mid-Minnesota Community Enhancement Grants have been awarded by the organization’s Board of Commissioners. To learn more about Mid-Minnesota Development Commission, visit MMRDC.org.