Chelan County Awards $4.6 Million in ARPA Funds

Chelan County recently awarded $4.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to local community groups and agricultural producers.

ARPA funds are federal COVID-19 relief dollars meant to financially assist any agencies, nonprofits, or small agricultural producers who were affected by the pandemic.

Chelan County received 50 applications during their two-month application period this past year, with requests totaling to $17 million.

Funds will go towards a variety of local needs such as food, housing, childcare, and health programs.

Chelan County Board of Commissioners received a total of $14.9 million in ARPA funds, and diverted $3 million to local nonprofits and $1 million to small agricultural operations.

The remaining funds will be used for county programs and departments.

Of the $1 million originally set aside for small agriculture businesses, $525,000 was allocated to the remaining 11 eligible applicants.

The remaining $475,000 was added to the community group fund.

The following community agencies and programs along with their grant award:

• Chelan Douglas Community Action Council: $162,500 was awarded to support the council’s expansion of its food distribution center in Malaga
• Chelan Valley Hope: $277,900 was awarded to expand operations, including the food bank.
• Common Ground Community Housing Trust: $350,000 was awarded to fund acquisition of land for single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes.
• Malaga-Colockum Community Council: $160,000 was awarded to support infrastructure improvements to the Malaga Community Park.
• Our Valley Our Future: $109,250 was awarded to support the coordination and completion of three large-scale community initiatives related to regional housing; health, literacy and outcomes; and early care and education programs.
• Seven Acres Foundation: $699,300 was awarded for the construction of the new Community Center at Lake Chelan.
• Small Miracles Community Outreach: $33,750 was awarded to provide meals to children in the free or reduced school lunch program for meals during summer, spring and winter breaks.
• Community for the Advancement of Family Education: $297,500 was awarded to support CAFÉ’s expanded community center.
• Lake Chelan Lions Club Foundation: $22,800 was awarded to purchase audiometers that will be used to detect hearing and vision problems in school-age children and to provide community screenings for low-income and disadvantaged populations.
• Upper Valley MEND: $350,000 was awarded to acquire workforce rental housing units in Leavenworth.
• Wenatchee Valley YMCA: $462,000 was awarded to the organization’s capital campaign for a new facility.
• Youth Dynamics: $75,000 was awarded, to be split between renovations at the group’s Stonewater Chalet in Plain and outreach efforts.
• Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment: $480,000 was awarded for land acquisition and construction on a new substance use disorder treatment facility in Chelan County.
• Chelan-Douglas Health District: $653,679 was awarded for a variety of improvements, from infrastructure to programming