17 groups applied for $288K
Cottonwood City Council unanimously approved $125,000 in Community Impact Grant to local nonprofits during its Tuesday, Sept. 15 $22,000 each to Old Town Mission $22,000 Low-Income Student Aid $21,000 to Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity $20,000 to Verde Valley Sanctuary $17,000 to Wheel Fun $16,000 to House of Ruth $7,000 to Science Vortex of Verde Valley.
“I wish we could fund them all,” said Councilman Christopher Dowell, who is also a board advisor for the Verde Valley Humane Society. “There’s a lot of ones on there that are near and dear to my heart and I think it would be great. But with the way we are in this economy, I hope the money that we’re granting this year can go a long way.”
In total, 17 organizations submitted requests for funding totaling $288,369. Old Town Mission, LISA, Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity, Verde Valley Sanctuary, Steps to Recovery Homes, Verde Valley Community Development Organization and the Verde Valley Senior Citizens Association were all seeking $25,000.
“We did remove the senior center,” Cottonwood Financial Services Manager Kirsten Lennon said, noting that the Verde Valley Senior Citizens Association scored high on rubric from the five-member selection committee composed of city staff. “But they are currently in negotiations for a service contract with the city for the same services, so we felt that they should not be part of this group.”
Recipients Wheel Fun had requested $20,000, House of Ruth asked for $18,000 and Science Vortex requested $7,500, while the Verde Valley Wine Consortium requested $16,326, Verde Valley Humane Society asked for $15,543, the Verde Valley Homeless Coalition requested $15,000, Verde Valley Baseball Club asked for $10,000, Friends of the Verde River requested $6,000 and Project Rising Hope asked for $5,000.
Geri-Fit Company LLC also submitted but a dollar amount was not given in the agenda packet.
Recipients’ Plans
Old Town Mission will use its $22,000 for its Foundations of Dignity project which will distribute “16,000 meals, hygiene supplies and water bottles for the homeless population,” Lennon said.
Demand for Old Town Mission’s community meal program has increased 26% in 2026 according to its application, writing that its monthly average of to-go meals given has increased to 1,339 from 1,064.
LISA will use its $22,000 to provide direct aid to working class families by funding various needs that children request covering everything from dental appointments to athletic fees.
“We’re serving approximately 5,730 students total this year,” LISA co-founder and Executive Director Eric Wyles said previously. “Over 4,400 of them are on the free and reduced lunch rolls, according to the Arizona Department of Education’s website. We just feel blessed to have the community support that we can keep helping students.”
“Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity is going to continue a portion of their critical care program,” Lennon said. “They had received [Community Development Block Grant] funding this last year and so they’re going to continue that program for the $21,000 that they were awarded, to help individuals with housing needs such as air conditioning or those types of things.”
VVS’ $20,000 will be used for a drainage and mold remediation project at shelter for victims of domestic and sexual violence. Since November a manufactured home on site has not been available because of damage from flooding.
“Once the drainage project is complete, we expect no more flooding issues in the children’s playroom, laundry room and intake area,” VVS’ application reads. “This likely means an increase in clients at the shelter in FY 2026-27.”
Over the last five years the shelter has been averaging 159 people, according to its application.
Wheel Fun’s $17,000 will go to for its youth cycling programs for more than 600 Cottonwood students.
“Wheel Fun does the youth cycling programs at Mountain View Prep, Cottonwood Community School and Dr. Daniel Bright and they do an after-school program, biking program for the kids and they also do a summer program now, where they’re helping with biking,” Lennon said. “They provide all the equipment and they provide an instructor and someone to work with the kids and it’s free to the to the applicants that join.”
The $16,000 for House of Ruth will fund the Baby Boutique Family Supply and Safety Project, a one-year project that will provide infant supplies, child safety equipment and parenting education materials to Cottonwood families enrolled in our Baby Boutique, Executive Director Stephanie Richey wrote. “This is a project-based, non-operational use of funds that will translate directly into diapers, formula, car seats and learning resources placed in the hands of local parents.”
Science Vortex’s $7,000 will support of its free programming on Thursdays with Family Makerspace Night when participant learn robotics programming and design tasks and for Little Learners STEAM Time on Fridays.
The Little Learners “introduce young children to concepts such as comparison, counting, measurement, observation, pattern recognition and cause-and-effect relationships through engaging activities including hummingbird feeder investigations, pipe cleaner and bead counting wands.”
