Amarillo chooses 4 organizations to receive ARPA funds for senior support

Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News
·5 min read

At last week’s Amarillo City Council meeting, council members, after debate, decided unanimously to award its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds aimed at support and services for senior citizens within the city to four local nonprofit agencies.

Eight local nonprofits applied for the funding, with one organization not reaching the prerequisites to move forward in the process. Three nonprofits were initially chosen to be funded for their full asking amount, to have the funds divided, with a fourth added with the remaining funds from the program.

To be eligible for these funds under ARPA for senior citizen support, these nonprofit organizations have to use funds within the following federal guidelines:

  • Mitigating and preventing COVID-19;

  • Improving ventilation systems;

  • Providing behavioral health care/mental health services and outreach;

  • Preventing and responding to violence, including scams;

  • Re-entering the workforce;

  • Providing food assistance and food security;

  • Providing counseling and legal aid to prevent homelessness or eviction;

  • Providing financial services for under-banked seniors;

  • Creating digital access and literacy;

  • Accessing and applying for public benefits and/or services;

  • Improving access to health and social services;

  • Integrating health services into senior services locations;

  • Addressing health disparities and improving health outcomes.

The four local nonprofits that were chosen included the following groups:

Catholic Charities was awarded $175,000 for a project aimed at expanding food pantry services to those in the low-income bracket for ages 50 and older. The ARPA applicability for Catholic Charities was providing food assistance, improving health outcomes and addressing health disparities.

Family Care Foundation was awarded $100,000 for a project to provide and expand free dental services for qualifying senior citizens. The ARPA applicability for the Family Care Foundation was improving health outcomes, and health disparities and improving access to health and social services.

United Way of Amarillo and Canyon was awarded $143,600 for a project to provide expanded financial assistance for qualifying senior citizens. The ARPA applicability for the United Way was providing financial services to under-banked senior citizens, helping with access to public benefits/ services, addressing health disparities, as well as improving access to health and social services.

With the remaining funds, the Wesley Community Center was awarded $181,400 out of the $244,000 that they requested for a project aimed at expanding services and addressing accessibility issues at the south campus of the Wesley Community Center. This project addressed six of 13 eligible criteria to be used for ARPA funds.

A review committee of three Parks and Recreation Advisory board members and two city employees from parks and finance individually evaluated the seven applications that qualified for the program. Award amounts were recommended based on the committee’s scoring, funding availability and ARPA funding eligibility.

For those nonprofits that received funds, funding needs to be obligated no later than June 30, 2024, and must be expended no later than Dec. 31, 2028. The city will distribute the funds on a reimbursement basis.

Laura Storrs, assistant city manager and the chief financial officer, said that applications were scored by funding need, impact on the community and the feasibility to be able to complete their projects.

“This was not a simple process, because this has to be used for projects that meet the guidelines set by the federal government,” Storrs said. "We will work with these community partners, now that we’re passing these grant funds through, to ensure that what they submit back to us meets the criteria outlined through ARPA.”

During the meeting, the city council was given the recommendations and scoring of the committee. After the presentation, councilmember Cole Stanley advocated that the Amarillo Senior Citizens Association (ASCA) should receive some portion of the funds for its work with senior citizens of the community.

"They have got a new home, and they have got a project that they are interested in completing,” Stanley said at the meeting. “I know they have been here; they have worked hard. I would like to see them share in this long term. I think it’s healthy for our community for our seniors to have a home. That would provide a good future home for them.”

In their application for ARPA funds, ASCA had asked for the full $600,000 amount that was available.

More:Amarillo Senior Citizens Association in 'dire straits', may be forced to close doors

Stanley proposed that the funding amount to both the United Way and the Wesley Community Center be reduced to give $100,000 to the ASCA. His reasoning at the meeting was the United Way was already being well funded and that Wesley was not given their total asking amount.

He said that that amount of money would help ASCA get its building ready to help seniors in the community. ASCA is still working toward raising funds to get the building prepared to open at its new location.

Stressing that it would not be fair to the process and other entities involved, Mayor Pro-Tem Freda Powell spoke out in defense of how the funding was chosen.

“Nothing against the Amarillo Senior Citizens Association at all,” Powell said, but “if we are not going to follow the process and honor these organizations that have worked hard, there’s no need to have a process in place to do that.”

Councilmember Eddy Sauer reasoned that if the ASCA were to be moved up for funding over other organizations that ranked higher in scoring, it would not be fair to all nonprofits involved in the ARPA funds application process. The ASCA was the sixth-ranked application for this ARPA funding from the city.

After discussion, all councilmembers voted to approve the funding for the four nonprofit organizations.

After the meeting, Powell weighed in on the decision by the city about which organizations were chosen for the funds to be awarded through this process.

“The city followed an extensive and thorough review to ensure that all of the organizations and entities that are committed to serving our senior citizens met the appropriate criteria to receive this funding,” Powell said. “The procedure that we had made it possible for a fair and equitable distribution of funds. If we have a process in place, we need to ensure that it's fair to all involved.”

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo chooses 4 organizations to get ARPA funds for senior support