Fraser announces 2023 CDBG recipients

FRASER — The Fraser City Council approved its annual Community Development Block Grant distributions for the year, voting on the measure unanimously at its meeting on Jan. 12.

CDBGs are financial distributions to nonprofit and charitable organizations by city bodies to help local communities. Each year, Michigan receives approximately $30 million in federal CDBG funds.

“They come from the (federal) government, and they are divided up between different cities based on factors like median income and population,” said Fraser Mayor Michael Carnegie. “They have to be dedicated to registered charities. Normally, we listen to everyone who applies. We have given money to many different groups, but there is a limited amount we can give out. We pick the ones that we think benefit our city most.”

A total of $7,750 was distributed by the city. The council decided that $3,400 will go to the Care House, a child advocacy center in Mount Clemens; $2,500 will go to the Turning Point abuse and recovery shelter in Mount Clemens and Warren; and $1,850 will go to Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, which is based in Roseville and provides aid and support for senior citizens.

“This year, we had only the three groups come forward, so we were able to give them what they were looking for,” said Carnegie. “We’ve given to Turning Point and Care House before. This is the first time we have given money to Interfaith Caregivers. We’ve given to as many as seven groups and as few as two in previous years. You can’t go under the amount requested, but you can give more.”

Sarah Dobbyn, Turning Point’s senior program and education director, said CDBG funds are crucial for nonprofit organizations and their ability to provide services.

“We apply for CDBG funding to support our emergency shelter program. We’ve applied to other communities for CDBG funds for this program as well,” she said. “CDBG funds help provide our shelter with additional funding which provides meals and other basic needs as they rebuild their lives after violence.”

She added that they were very grateful to Fraser.

“We got the amount we requested from Fraser, and we are extremely grateful for the support from residents to help those we help,” Dobbyn said.

She hopes this distribution also will remind members of the public to look at local resources if they are in need and emphasize the importance of addressing matters such as domestic violence.

“I think that it’s really important for people to recognize that domestic violence can happen to anyone and that our hotline is always there as a lifeline so people can get help and support,” said Dobbyn. “We can be reached at (586) 463-6990.”

Stacey Conte, the outreach coordinator for Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, agreed that CDBG funds can be critical to helping support local programs that help communities on a personal level.

“CDBG grant distributions are very important,” she said. “Without them, we wouldn’t be able to coordinate our volunteers to perform our services. We wouldn’t be able to help residents in the Fraser community without it.”

Conte said that this year’s funds from Fraser will help support Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers’ Safe at Home program.

“The CDBG money will go toward our Safe at Home program, which helps seniors and at-risk adults stay independent by taking care of chores, housework, yard work and minor home repairs,” she said. “We are appreciative of any dollar amount we can get, and we are very happy to work with the Fraser community in our efforts.”