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Middletown health department awarding grants to non-profits who provide public health services

Hartford Courant - 1/8/2020

The city of Middletown’s health department is now accepting applications for grant funding from non-profits that provide public health services.

The public health block grants will be for fiscal year 2020-21. Any non-profit social service or health agency who provides services to city residents are eligible to apply.

“In the past and in general, the grants fund anything tied to public health services for residents of Middletown,"said Kevin Elak, public health manager for the city. “Though we don’t require that it serves 100 percent of Middletown resident, as long as they serve a portion of resident, they are eligible.”

The grants, which have been awarded by the health department for over 10 years, will provide a total of $115,000 spread across the recipients, Elak said.

In the past, the grants have funded health initiatives at the YMCA of Northern Middlesex County, the warming center run by Columbus House, the Community Health Center’s domestic violence services, the Community Renewal Team’s elderly meal program and the North End Action Team’s farmers market.

“These are all critical services provided to the city,” Elak said.

Elak said the grants ease the financial burden for Middletown non-profits that might not otherwise be able to fund many services.

“Particularly at Columbus House, the warming center would be very difficult to operate without the grant,” he said. “The city of Middletown provides them with half the funding for their budget for the warming center.”

The grant money is allocated to the city health department from the common council. Applications for funding are due on Feb. 28, after which the board of health will review the candidates. Applicants may be asked to attend a board meeting to make a presentation. The board notifies grant recipients in June, Elak said.

“They really try to give everyone a little money,” Elak said. “As long as it’s tied to public health programming, they really try to split it up. We try to prioritize the greatest need in the community and who will benefit from it the most."

Applications for grant funding are available on the city’s website and need to be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 28. For more information contact Kevin Elak at kevin.elak@middletownct.gov or call 860-638-4972.

Kathleen McWilliams can be reached at kmcwilliams@courant.com.

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