Press release from Buncombe County:
Buncombe County has opened the 2020-2021 application cycle of the Community Recreation Grants program. The grants are part of other countywide initiatives that help make Buncombe County a place everyone from infants to retirees has the opportunity to be strong, healthy, and successful. The program is intended to help community nonprofits make immediate improvements and jump-start long-term progress that align with the Buncombe 2025 plan. Grants range in amounts from $500-$6,000, depending on the number of qualifying applicants.
“Over the past several months, our community has seen, more than ever before, the value of equitable, accessible recreation opportunities in creating a safe, healthy, and resilient community,” says Josh O’Conner, Director of Buncombe County Recreation Services. “We are in the community building business, but we alone cannot fully deliver on the proven environmental, health, economic, and social impacts of greener parks and high-quality inclusive activities that remove barriers to building well-being for all residents. We have great expectations for this year’s innovative grant applicants to help us fill in the gaps with quick wins that create a more vibrant and livable community through the power of partnership.”
Eligible entities include Buncombe County nonprofits focused on providing equitable access to recreational, fitness, cultural, and wellness activities to the public at no- or low-cost. These funds are intended to be a leveraging tool that promote partnerships between the County and area nonprofits and are not a donation, funding stream, or sponsorship opportunity. Programs applying for funding should align with the Buncombe 2025 plan’s focus areas, as well as embody the spirt of Buncombe County Recreation Services’ mission: Connect Communities. Preserve Culture. Change Lives.
Projects funded in the past have included creative placemaking, increasing safe connections to a wider range of play and wellness activities for underserved residents, supporting access to experiences that preserve regional and international cultures, improvements to public athletic fields and fitness courses, expanding environmental education, building food security through community gardens, and establishing multigenerational outdoor spaces for neighbors to connect with each other and foster community pride.
Applications, guidelines, and a list of 2019-2020 recipients are available online.
The grant application deadline is Friday, Oct.16, 2020, at 5 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted. The Community Recreation Grant Committee will notify all applicants via email no later than Friday, Nov. 15, 2020.
Grant Contact: Adam Zinke, adam.zinke@buncombecounty.org
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