Nonprofits present community‑benefit grant proposals to Chelan council

At the Feb. 24 meeting the council heard several community-benefit grant presentations.

Chelan Valley Community Nurse (Catherine Moorhead, office referral manager) described operational needs including an electronic health-record system, reliable phones/hard line for HIPAA compliance, a better printer and limited paid tech support to replace failing donated equipment. Moorhead said previous EHR access supplied by an external system had been removed without notice and that staff have been using paper charts.

Chelan Valley Connect (Ray, representing a coalition of community health and social-service providers) requested $500 to build a consolidated resource website to list local services (transportation, housing, seniors, etc.). Ray said member organizations would provide content and manpower, and the site should be sustainable for about three years.

Heritage Heights (Melissa Robbins, board president) requested $30,000 for exterior repairs and safety projects at the nonprofit assisted‑living/memory care facility, citing uneven pavement, ramps and sprinkler needs; Robbins said roughly half of the 38 residents are Medicaid recipients.

Lake Chelan Valley Habitat for Humanity (Michelle Fanton, executive director) reviewed a home-building program and an emerging repair program. Fanton said the organization had secured a $70,000 USDA home-preservation grant and a $10,000 community foundation award; the Habitat affiliate sought city support to cover a remaining ~$20,000 gap to create a $100,000 repair program budget and complete at least $10,000 in repairs in 2026.

Council thanked presenters and signaled interest in funding discussions as part of budget and grant allocation work.