Our food system has an enormous impact on the environment. Local farmers using sustainable farming practices can help mitigate environmental degradation, but only if they have markets for their produce. Many consumers, especially those of low income, find it difficult to access these foods. This request funds the purchase and retrofit of a shuttle bus to create a mobile farmers market, similar to a bookmobile, providing access to more Ada County residents.
Miles of Smiles has operated nearly nine years in the Treasure Valley. IWCF grant monies will purchase additional handpieces and instruments to ensure quality dental care to children in need; dental supplies to treat 4,000 students with exams, teeth cleanings, fluoride varnish, X-rays, extractions and restorations; an in-house water distiller; electrical hook-ups installed in additional schools to expand the program to reach more children; insurance premiums for 2016-2017; and an overhead covering to protect the RV in storage.
A Virtual Warehousing Model and Online Fundraising Platform for Providing Diapers Having something as simple as diapers gives low-income families a glimpse of hope, allows them to keep their babies healthy, helps prevent maternal depression and allows limited resources to go toward other basic needs such as food, rent and gas. It can also result in greater opportunity for a baby to go to daycare, so mom and/or dad can secure a job.
Children of immature parents frequently live in poverty and often don’t perform as well as children of older mothers on measures of child development and school readiness. The IWCF grant will equip and furnish new preschool classrooms and a playground for the children of student teen mothers attending the Booth Marian Pritchett School (BMPS). Adding early learning education to the on campus child care services will benefit the children as their mothers complete high school.
This 1897 building, owned by Syringa Club since 1991, is in desperate need of structural repairs. Following a severe wind event, roof joists were patched, but roof connection to walls for stabilization during seismic and wind forces is needed. The IWCF grant will fund new joists to tie the roof to the walls, resulting in a new roof.
If you were at our Symposium last year, you saw IWCF award the $40,000 Above and Beyond Collaboration Pilot Grant to Valley Regional Transit. They are using this grant to provide more flexible transportation to jobs (4,000 round trips) to very-low and extremely-low income members of our community. Many people live 5 miles or more from the nearest fixed bus stop or they have jobs that start or end during times when the regular bus service is not available. Without this help, these people would be unable to maintain employment.
