Battle Creek Times

Community can vote for organizations in the running now through Mar. 20

Flint Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) has completed the first round of review for this year’s Mini-Grant Program, and now it’s the community’s turn to weigh-in on the grant finalists.

The community can see what programs have been proposed and vote for their favorite at https://flintrecast.org/get-involved/.

Flint ReCAST received 49 applications, the most applications since the inception of this grant process. Community-based organizations were invited to submit proposals requesting support for evidence-based violence prevention and community youth engagement programs, as well as trauma-informed behavioral health services. Applications closed on Feb. 21.

An independent review committee completed round one of the funding process by reviewing and scoring applications. The review committee picked the top 10 applications that will be funded this year.

The next step, round two, is up to the community! Eleven applications are now advancing to the online voting component on the Flint ReCAST website: https://flintrecast.org/get-involved/.

The voting goes live Tuesday, March 14 at 12 p.m. Flint ReCAST invites Flint community members to take some time to read through each applicant’s program description and vote for the one they would like to see funded this year. Voting will be open until Monday, March 20 at 5 p.m. The top five will be awarded funding.

The community will vote on the following organizations:

• Flint Flames Youth Organization
• Serenity House Communities
• YMCA of Greater Flint
• Mothers of Joy Institute for Parenting and Family wellness Inc.
• Hand of Hope – FLM
• Revive Community Health Center
• R.L. Jones Community Outreach Center
• Boys and Girls Club of Greater Flint
• Sisters Supporting Sisters Worldwide
• The Porch Project
• Voices for Children Advocacy Center

Flint ReCAST aims to assist at-risk youth and families by supporting the recovery and rebuilding of Flint’s vibrant community. The Flint ReCAST mini-grant program is a yearly opportunity for community-based organizations to implement programs designed to promote resilience in the Flint community by assisting at-risk youth and families.

Flint ReCAST is a program of the City of Flint, made possible through a grant awarded to the City by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. City of Flint Chief Resilience Officer Lottie Ferguson serves as the Program Director and Greater Flint Health Coalition serves as the program implementation partner.

Original source can be found here.