Local nonprofits seek Union County partnership grant funding for food, tutoring and home-delivery programs

At the Feb. 18 Union County Board of Commissioners meeting, two nonprofit representatives used the informal public-comments slot to describe local services and to notify the board they had applied for county partnership grants.

Colette Rowland of Waxhaw spoke about the Connect Center, a Monroe-based nonprofit that operates a pass-through (free) store for clothing and shoes to residents who meet 125% of the federal poverty guideline. Rowland said the Connect Center has served almost 1,100 residents across Union County and beyond over the last two years and has launched a Connect Scholars program that is working with 13 students to promote postsecondary education; the group provides free tutoring and other supports for those scholars. Rowland said the Connect Center had applied this year for a Union County Partnership Grant.

Representatives of Food for Families — Jeff Mangum and Executive Director Amy Nicolai — described the group’s programs and asked the board to consider their application for $25,000 in county grant funds to help buy food. Mangum said the organization began a backpack program about 13 years ago and now supplies thousands of families; Nicolai said the backpack program currently averages about 1,500 bags a week to students in Union, Anson and parts of Mecklenburg County. Nicolai added that Food for Families’ home-delivery program partners with school social workers and counselors and in January delivered weekly food boxes to 501 families.

Why it matters: both speakers noted they had applied for the county partnership grant cycle and wanted commissioners to be aware of the services they provide to low-income residents and schoolchildren.

What the transcript does not show: the board did not take any action or vote on the grant applications during the meeting; the applicants were using the public-comment period to describe programs and to note their applications.