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Fifteen outside agencies seek $25,300 in borough grants; council has $10,000 to allocate
Summary
Fifteen nonprofits and community groups presented grant requests (total ask ~$25,300) for projects ranging from park maintenance and library programs to youth services and reentry supports; council will consider subcommittee recommendations and act at the December meeting.
Fifteen organizations presented to the council asking for outside‑agency grants; their combined requests exceed the boroughfunding available.
Mayor Schultz told presenters that the borough received requests totaling $25,300 while about $10,000 is available. Presenters were asked whether partial awards would allow projects to proceed and what alternate funding they had identified.
Highlights:
- Middle Mission Park Labyrinth (Holly Hoffman) requested $3,064 to replace plastic edging with flexible steel edging, add gravel and apply a 10‑year sealant following storm damage; Parks & Rec provides mowing and liability coverage but not upkeep funds.
- Bosler Memorial Library (Jeff Swope) described expanded "Library of Things" services, circulating laptops, museum passes with high hold lists, large public programs (Comic Con drew nearly 2,300 attendees) and distribution of more than 2,000 Narcan boxes; their request supports collections, programs and technology.
- Carlisle Area Health Care Auxiliary (Ellen Hare) requested funds for scholarships; the auxiliary has funded multiple students who later worked locally and said roughly 80% of auxiliary proceeds go to scholarships.
- Carlisle Area Dog Park (Megan) requested general operating support to expand outreach, provide subsidized memberships for residents in need and host volunteer events; the off‑leash park operates by membership fees ($75/year) and is sited in Schaefer Park (North Middleton Township).
- Carlisle Victory Circle (Angie Fernandez Barone) presented youth programming for middle and high school students including leadership, cooking classes, cultural programming and bike initiatives; the group served 55 students last year and seeks funding to expand offerings.
- Community Empowerment Services (Dr. Michael Eskridge) requested funds for supplies to run a cognitive behavioral therapy program and individual success plans for returning citizens in partnership with Cumberland County Prison and other local partners.
- Several smaller requests included picnic seating at Valheims Pocket Park (Cumberland County Historical Society), summer camp slots for an indoor childcare provider (Enchanted Forest), trap‑neuter‑return funding for feral cat control (Eastside Neighborhood Association; $45 per cat through Nobody's Cat Foundation), mediation outreach (Neighborhood Dispute Settlement), weekly client assistance (Samaritan Fellowship), and Supportive Partnerships for Youth (SPI) operating support for free academic and enrichment programs serving borough students.
Councilors asked follow‑up questions about alternative funding sources (Partnership for Better Health, Members First Foundation, internal reserves) and whether projects could scale down if awards were partial. The subcommittee will aggregate requests and present funding recommendations at the December meeting; no awards were made at the workshop.
