BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Community organizations serving the City of Bethlehem soon will be able to apply for pandemic recovery grants, officials announced Wednesday.
Officials have prioritized 16 possible uses for spending, as diverse as internet access and job training to food assistance and violence prevention.
Grants from $10,000 to $75,000 will be awarded to organizations working in the city. In all, $750,000 will be available in total in this round of applications.
- Bethlehem officials announced applications will open soon for the first round of grants from the city’s Community Recovery Fund
- Grants range from $10,000 to $75,000 for organizations working in the city
- Applications will open from March 1 to April 30
Bethlehem’s Department of Community and Economic Development held a virtual information session for potential applicants seeking money from the Community Recovery Fund, created with $3 million of federal pandemic aid last year.
“The Community Recovery Fund was born out of this once-in-a-generation opportunity called the American Rescue Plan Act,” city Director of Equity and Inclusion Janine Santoro said.
“While social inequities had existed before the pandemic, the pandemic exacerbated them in a way that's undeniable and requires recovery efforts in a hyperlocal and systemic way,” she added.
Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds said, “What we're trying to do here is really create a permanent and sustainable opportunity for the city to invest into our community — into the people on the front lines that are doing the work.”
“What we're trying to do here is really create a permanent and sustainable opportunity for the city to invest into our community — into the people on the front lines that are doing the work.”Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds
When designing the program, City Hall prioritized accessibility by reducing the amount of time and materials required to apply, while maximizing the number of organizations eligible and the breadth of what it can be spent on.
Maison Allen, the city’s grant administrator, encouraged a broad interpretation of each category and said projects that don't fit in any still will be considered as long as they help with pandemic recovery.
“Successful applications will be the ones that demonstrate how the proposed program or project that you're putting forth addresses the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the community and rebuilds services with an emphasis on equity,” Santoro said.
For-profit businesses or nonprofits founded before March 2022 are not eligible for funds. Religious organizations can apply if their services are available to the public.
Groups based outside of Bethlehem may apply for funding if more than half of their clients live in the city.
The grants are part of $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated with the 2023 budget. Another $7 million will go toward housing and homelessness prevention, including $5 million for a new emergency shelter.
Applications will open on the city’s website on March 1, and close on April 30.
A full set of requirements is posted on the city’s website.
