One of seven nonprofit organizations that sought health and human services funding from the City of Apache Junction has dropped out, with the remaining seeking a piece of $80,000.
The Apache Junction City Council on July 7 is to consider the 2020-21 funding at a meeting that begins at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 300 E. Superstition Blvd.
The agency out of the running had sought $16,000 for outreach and a laundry-service program.
“One of the applicants has withdrawn its application due to staffing-funding changes so that allowed some money to go to some other worthy agencies,” Development Services Director Larry Kirch said of Empowerment Systems.
“$157,000 were asked for; the city budgeted $80,000,” he said of the requests compared to the total amount available.
The Apache Junction Health and Human Services Commission met earlier this year to consider funding requests and voted on recommendations in May including the following:
- Apache Junction Community Development Corp., $6,000 for community revitalization, playground projects, transport, sign removal, Make a Difference Day and a brick memorial. The agency had sought $24,000.
- Boys and Girls Club of the East Valley, $16,750 for staff that will provide programs. It had sought $30,000.
- Community Alliance Against Family Abuse, $17,450 for intervention services. CAAFA had sought $18,000,
- Genesis Project, $10,500 for operations. It had sought $12,000.
- Horizon Health and Wellness, $9,500 for mental health first aid training. It had sought $25,000.
- Superstition Food Bank, $19,800 for operations. The food bank had sought $27,500.
Agencies that are accepted for funding will sign agreements effective July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021, Health and Human Services Commission Chair Mary Erickson said recently to the City Council.
“Thank you for providing the funds. The funds are actually for the citizens of Apache Junction,” she said.
COVID-19 impacts on funding
A member of the City Council asked Ms. Erickson if the commission had started its process after COVID-19 and its restrictions, would it have focused on other types of funding for its recommendation.
“With what’s happened, how much of this work was done before three months ago and if you were starting now, would you possibly do it over and go more food-related or did the last three months get counted into your recommendations?” Mayor Jeff Serdy asked.
“I think that it did. We looked at what agencies have already received some funding, because that also is a factor. Some of the agencies have received some funding already and there may be additional funding available for those,” Ms. Erickson said.
Mental health and food needs were considered due to the impacts of COVID-19, she said.
“Food insecurity is a huge issue and I would hope that the much-larger amount of funds that will be available to our community will help in addition to maybe supplement some of the food insecurity that we have. The mental-health needs are going to only increase and so that was one of our considerations as well,” Ms. Erickson said. “So, yes, we kind of were caught in the middle, but we did consider some of the impact that our community will feel as a result of COVID.”
One of the unintended consequences of the shutdown of businesses due to concerns of spreading COVID-19 and people staying in their own homes is increased family and child abuse, Councilman Jeff Struble said.
“We just talked to our judge and he’s seeing lots more cases; the police department is seeing more and more cases of abuse. CAAFA, I’m sure mental health; Horizon’s seeking an increase of people that they are servicing,” he said.
“I would like to see us focus what money we are going to be spending --- because we already approved it in a budget --- but I would like to see it be for the mental-health side of this, that unseen people out there who really do need some help. Not just tomorrow and today, but in the next ... year or whatever it might be,” Councilman Struble said. “And unfortunately, also, I would like to just fund the food services and what Genesis is doing for our population that is needed.”
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6 nonprofits could share $80K Apache Junction health and human services funding - Your Valley
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