Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced Thursday plans to give $57,000 to the Three Rivers Community Foundation to help families struggling because of the recession.
The foundation then will give the money to several area nonprofits to help ease hunger, domestic violence and more.
"Benton and Franklin counties are the fastest growing in the state, yet nonprofit services have not increased at the same pace," Carrie Green, the foundation's executive director, said in a news release.
She said Franklin County has one of the highest rates of hunger in our state and the recession has worsened the problem. Also, the stress of the weak economy has increased violence at a time when agencies that deal with domestic violence and family support services are stretched beyond their needs, she said.
"We partner with the nonprofits in the community who are on the front lines in effectively dealing with the consequences of the economic situation," Green said. "All they need is the funding, which we can now better provide because of this grant."
As a result, the foundation is extending its deadline for nonprofit agencies to submit grant applications to Nov. 16.
Then the foundation's distribution committee will interview the applicants, and the grants will be announced in December.
The $57,000 grant was one of 12 in Washington announced Thursday by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Nine other community foundations are receiving money. Also a grant will help the Washington State Library with programs for people looking for jobs, and the LAW Fund is getting a grant for legal services for low-income residents.
For more information on the Three Rivers Community Foundation, visit 3rcf.org.
To learn more about the Gates Foundation's work in Washington, go to gates foundation.org/washington.
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