Nonprofit committee holds fall review session

CHILLICOTHE — The Chillicothe City Council nonprofit committee recently met to discuss local nonprofits seeking funding.

This committee takes applications from local nonprofits and compares them to decide which ones will receive money from the city at this time. The committee's goal is to help nonprofits who are working on bettering the city.

Members of this committee are Councilman Jamie Brown, Michael Maughmer, Andrea Holmes and Lisa Johnson. Using a rubric to judge each organization the members will decide whether the nonprofit should receive funding from the city. If voted through the nonprofits will be brought to the entirety of city council to make the final decision and say how much should be given.

Learn more: City Council Non-Profit Fund Committee aims to give back to the community

During the fall review session, the committee had two nonprofits come to present their case for funding: Build A HOME and Downtown Chillicothe.

Kristen King, board president of Build A Home, spoke with committee members about the history of the nonprofit, which for many years ran transitional housing. The pandemic changed a lot of what the nonprofit could do in terms of fundraising so the housing was stopped until recently when the organization was able to purchase land and a house on Patton Hill Road for one transitional house and a community center.

This community center allows the 100% volunteer-run organization to hold special events and classes for families with parents going through the Ross County family dependency treatment court. The community center also gives a home base for Project Bad Apple, an organization that works with youth to help them learn new skills and open their eyes to different paths in life.

The nonprofit asked the committee for $25,000 in funding to help finish renovating the community center. The completion of this project will result in new mentoring programs, after-school activities, sober living activities, a community garden and more.

"We are really looking forward to the future and what we can offer," said King. "We're dreaming big."

Tiffany Baldwin from the Downtown Chillicothe organization also gave a presentation requesting $10,000 in funding. She said the city has supported the organization for several years as the group helps put on events and decorate the downtown area. The Downtown Chillicothe organization also helps support local business owners.

Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Two local groups seek funding from the city