PEORIA, Ariz. (Oct.
4, 2010) – Peoria City Councilmember Dave Pearson announced today a new
program designed to empower neighbors in his Ironwood Council District. "I'm
excited to launch this mini-grant program to help residents take charge of their
neighborhoods," said Pearson.
SNAP grants are
designed to assist individuals and organizations to make Ironwood neighborhoods
safer, cleaner, healthier and more livable by providing financial assistance.
"Our neighborhoods are where it's at," he said. "In the end, everything we do,
from community policing to economic development, is about making our
neighborhoods more livable."
The goal, he said, is
to develop community spirit, foster neighborhood sustainability, encourage
volunteerism and develop neighborhood leaders.
"So many residents have
good ideas how to make their neighborhoods better. They've got the knowhow and
an abundance of energy but no funding to realize their dreams. Maybe a SNAP
Grant will remove that roadblock," said the councilman.
SNAP Projects must take
place in, or have a tangible benefit to, residents of the Ironwood District --
which extends approximately from Deer Valley Road south to Thunderbird Road,
mostly west of 83rd Avenue.
Homeowners;
neighborhood-watch groups; community business and professional associations;
schools and youth programs; and nonprofit community-support organizations are
among the types of applicants eligible for SNAP Grants.
Those interested in
obtaining a SNAP Grant may apply through Councilman Pearson's city Web page or
directly at the following address:
www.peoriaaz.gov/IronwoodSNAP.
The mini-grants, up to
$2,000, will be awarded to applicants with "creative and useful action plans to
make our community more livable," Pearson said.
SNAP Grants come from
Pearson’s district discretionary funds. Each city councilmember is allocated
$30,000 annually to be used at their discretion within legal guidelines. Pearson
has reserved $15,000 for Ironwood mini-grants.
He also funds the
Spring Festival, an Ironwood District cultural event held in the Arrowhead
Fountains Entertainment District west of the Peoria Sports Complex.
"I look at my support
for the Spring Festival as a logical extension of the SNAP Grant," he said. "It
is a way to support neighbors and the Ironwood business community. It brings
residents and business people together to celebrate our community and show their
pride in Peoria."
