Milan, Monroe, Temperance and Waldron community centers able to expand due $64M in grants

LANSING — The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity announced $64 million in Community Center Grant funds has been awarded to 100 Michigan municipalities and organizations to expand programming or work on capital projects to serve 1.6 million Michiganders.

Community centers in Milan, Monroe, Temperance and Waldron are among the recipients.

Aid in Milan was awarded $166,662. Bedford Township Veterans Committee will receive $250,000. The award for Frenchtown Center for Active Adults is $500,000 and Waldron District Library will receive $243,000.

According to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, these grants build on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s "Make it in Michigan" strategy. The project’s goal is to win projects, invest in people and revitalize places.

“Community centers anchor thriving communities across Michigan, offering Michiganders places to gather, connect, learn and access resources,” Whitmer said in a written statement. “This funding for community centers will help us deliver on our ‘Make it in Michigan’ vision to revitalize cities and towns across Michigan by making them more attractive places to live, work and invest.”

Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news and high school sports content.

The grantees provide a diverse set of services including after-school programming, workforce development, recreational activities, supporting older adults and more. Grants will be awarded to 69 nonprofit agencies, 22 local government agencies and nine schools/universities across the state.

“While we are excited and extremely fortunate to receive the community center grant, Frenchtown Center for Active Adults is a multipurpose center for older adults,” Paul Iacoangeli, executive director said in an email. “The staff prides itself on providing activities, exercise opportunities, various services, a healthy meal and the adult day care service program that provides respite for the many caregivers in Monroe County.”

Iacoangeli said the grant will update the center and will keep the building functional for many more years.

“With the addition of a building generator, the building can continue to provide all services and remain open during power outages,” he said. “We also expect to have enough funding to purchase exercise equipment for mobility-challenged individuals, making it easier for folks in wheelchairs to work out.”

The grants support the governor’s goal of lifting 100,000 families out of working poverty during the next five years and follows the recommendations of the Michigan Poverty Task Force to address the disparities that affect Michiganders’ abilities to afford necessities such as housing, childcare, food, health care and transportation.

The American Rescue Plan Act provided $60 million in grant funds which was appropriated by the State Legislature. In response to the resounding interest from applicants, the legislature also added $4 million though the FY24 Supplemental Budget Bill, recognizing the need to provide funding to connect communities and provide resources to serve residents.

There were nearly 1,000 applications requesting over $1 billion in funding. Organizations in 43 Michigan counties received funding that will serve a total of 80 counties across the state.

The Michigan Community Service Commission, the state’s lead agency on volunteerism, administered the grant process.

“It was a very competitive process, and we received many great applications that went through a thorough review procedure,” Michigan Community Service Commission Executive Director Ginna Homes said. “The investment in Michigan neighborhoods will continue to improve the lives of residents across the state, ensuring more Michiganders have an equal opportunity to prosperity.”

A list of grant recipients is available at Michigan.gov/CommunityCenterGrants.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Milan, Monroe, Temperance and Waldron community centers able to expand due $64M in grants