Latest news with #BernalilloCountyNeighborhoodGrantProgram
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bernalillo County reopens grant program geared toward neighborhood beautification
May 15—From pollinator gardens to Route 66 murals, neighborhood associations have turned grants from a Bernalillo County program into community hubs. Now, the program is back for another year. Since 2010, neighborhood associations have used money doled out as part of the Bernalillo County Neighborhood Grant Program to beautify the county and build community, said Neighborhood Coordinator Megan Holcomb. "We work really closely with them, but we want to kind of give them another outlet to, you know, organize projects and events in their neighborhood," Holcomb said. The program, which relies on money from the county's general fund, is again accepting applicants for fiscal year 2026. Eligible projects receive grants of $7,500 for bigger projects and $2,500 for smaller ones. According to the county's website, possible projects include workshops, trainings, neighborhood art initiatives, crime prevention projects or anything that brings the community together. The application deadline ends June 11. Interested groups can visit the county's Planning and Development Services website, or contact the department at neighborhoodgrants@ Ken Sears, president of the ABQCore Neighborhood Association, said the money is crucial for groups like his. "Neighborhood associations typically aren't well funded," Sears said, adding that donations comprise the bulk of his group's financial resources. Sears said grants like this allow the association to focus on projects that build community both in the short term and the long term. That's precisely what happened last year when ABQCore was awarded a grant, which they used for a mural project in the Downtown neighborhood in anticipation of the Route 66 Centennial. Sears said his community came together to plan the mural, and even after it was finished, the community still used the space for regular gatherings. One hurdle Holcomb noted is that eligible recipients must have a tax identification number or be registered as a nonprofit. Holcomb said neighborhood associations can still get the grants without that, but they'd have to go through a fiscal sponsor. Last year, the county gave out grants to 16 neighborhood associations. "I think it's just a really good way to provide an opportunity for us to meet our neighbors and build that community and that support system that we all kind of look for," Holcomb said.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mobile library gives free books to homeless Albuquerque Public Schools students
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A program bringing books to homeless students made a stop at Bernalillo County's family shelter. Albuquerque Public School's McKinney-Vento program, which serves homeless students and families, rolled out its mobile library Monday afternoon. Up to $7,500 in project funding available through Bernalillo County Neighborhood Grant Program Unlike a regular library, kids can keep the donated books, which organizers say is a big relief for families who worry about book returns and fees. 'Last fall, we had some of our students tell us that they were able to go to the library at school but weren't able to take books home because they didn't have a home to go to. They said their parents were fearful of the fees and the costs of not being able to return library books. So, this program gives us an opportunity to make sure that our students in shelters have access to literacy,' said Cristal Wilson, director of APS McKinney-Vento program. The mobile library was named Mary's Book Nook after long-time APS employee Mary Bretting-Miller, who worked for APS Title 1 for forty years. She also started Storytime in the Park in partnership with KRQE. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
