November 10, 2015
Good Work Has its Own Rewards for Several Kansas Communities
Kansas PRIDE Program provides funding for projects.
Medical researcher, Jonas Salk once said, “I feel that the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more.”
That attitude is present in cities and towns across Kansas and in some cases, the work they are doing is being rewarded. For their efforts in improving their communities, volunteer groups in six towns have been awarded Partners in PRIDE funds by the Kansas PRIDE program http://www.kansasprideprogram.ksu.edu/. Each community will receive $1,100 to help fund a specific project.
The Kansas PRIDE program is a partnership of K-State Research and Extension, the Kansas Department of Commerce, and Kansas PRIDE, Inc. Through the program, communities identify what they want to preserve, create or improve for the future. Volunteers form a local PRIDE organization that works with K-State Research and Extension and the Kansas Department of Commerce to accomplish its goals.
The fall 2015 Partners in PRIDE award projects include:
- Ashland PRIDE – Pavilion lighting project;
- Highland PRIDE – AME Church restoration;
- Lecompton PRIDE – Activity room update;
- McFarland PRIDE – Park sidewalk and parking;
- Randolph PRIDE – Park restroom renovation; and
- Rossville PRIDE – Volleyball court expansion.
Partners in PRIDE grants are mini-grants intended to be used by local PRIDE communities to address a need that has been identified through a community planning process. The grants are provided by Kansas PRIDE, Inc. as a one-to-one match with communities that can provide funding or sweat equity for up to the maximum amount of $2,000 per project. PIP grant applications are available in two rounds of funding per year. To date nearly $47,000 has been awarded to PRIDE community projects.
More information about Kansas PRIDE and how Kansas communities can be involved is available on the website or on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/KansasPRIDE, by calling 785-532-5840, or by emailing Jaime Menon at jmenon@ksu.edu. --Story by Mary Lou Peter - mlpeter@ksu.edu