News Article

Archived News Release: October 15, 2020 - ​The City of Ann Arbor is delighted to announce that, over the summer and into the early fall, 11 Sustaining Ann Arbor Together (SA2T) grants were awarded to community-based organizations to advance community sustainability. These 11 grants include:​

• Shelter Association of Washtenaw County for The Recuperative Care and Housing Crisis Stabilization programs, which offer immediate shelter to people discharged from hospitals without a home to recuperate.
• Peace Neighborhood Center for their work to provide supportive services such as food distribution, academic support and emotional support to youth as they transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Children's Literacy Network for BookPALS, a novel program with two goals: to promote fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills and to build bridges between students from varying socioeconomic communities and cultural backgrounds in Washtenaw County.
• Michigan Ability Partners for neighborhood beatification and the creation of community gardens at permanent and transitional housing locations in Ann Arbor.
• Northside Community Center to purchase and install battery storage at the community center tied to onsite solar panels. The batteries add resilience to the facility and ensure the functionality of onsite equipment in the event of electrical outages, including equipment essential for community food distribution.  
• Arrowwood Hills Community Center for expansion and enhancement to their food distribution program for at-risk community members, including those suffering from food insecurity.
• Bryant Community Center to support their creation of an outdoor classroom for gathering and study, which was designed with the input of youth in the area so the structure will meet their direct needs and interests. 
• Creekside Court Community Center to support the acquisition of supplies for a new community center that will serve the previously homeless families living in the new Creekside Court Community. 
• Miller Manor for the expansion of the therapeutic art program for tenants and the surrounding community.
• Baker Commons for the expansion of their community lunch program, which provides meals five days a week to low-income adults. 
• Avalon Housing for a community playground and outdoor environmental space for youth of all ages. 

“The Sustaining Ann Arbor Together Grant program is an important vehicle for supporting our community's innovation and creativity as it relates to advancing local sustainability and climate action," said Dr. Missy Stults, manager of the City of Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations. “We are honored to award these grants to so many community partners who are doing exceptional work to keep our community and neighborhoods strong and accessible to all."

The SA2T grant program was created to support and promote sustainability activities undertaken by community and neighborhood groups. The grant program has $100,000 available annually, which is distributed in $10,000 or less grants to community groups working to develop, resource, complete or design small-scale sustainability improvements on public lands or in the right-of-way. Potential projects are evaluated based on merit and alignment with Ann Arbor's goal areas outlined in the 2013 Sustainability Framework, including: climate and energy, community, land use access and resource management. The SA2T grant program is an action outlined in the city's A2ZERO Carbon Neutrality Plan. To learn more about the city's carbon neutrality work, visit www.a2gov.org/sustainability. To learn more about and potentially apply for a SA2T grant, visit www.a2gov.org/sa2t.

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