The Victory Electric Cooperative, Assn., Inc., is pleased to announce New Chance Inc., and the Salvation Army of Dodge City as the recipients of the 2020 Victory Electric/CoBank Sharing Success grant.
The grant’s purpose is aimed at supporting local communities and people. Both recipients meet this goal by serving our community in different ways.
New Chance Inc. is a local alcohol and drug rehabilitation center that has been operating in the community for more than 40 years. The agency continues to make a difference in the lives of those affected by substance abuse issues through both residential and outpatient services.
New Chance Inc. intends to use the grant for technological and security upgrades to enhance and extend the services they provide.
“We would not have been able to do this so quickly if we had to do it as funds came available through normal business operations,” Director of Administrative Services Doug Austen said. “With newly updated computers, counselors are able to more easily use our electronic health records, thereby streamlining their jobs to better serve clients. Also, outpatient counselors can more easily provide tele-health services with the upgraded computers.”
The second recipient of the grant is the Salvation Army of Dodge City. The Salvation Army is a Christian church and an international charitable organization with local branches to help meet individualized community need. The Salvation Army has been serving Dodge City since 1890 through programs and services that help meet community members' basic needs and promote spiritual, educational, recreational, and social development.
A 2017 feasibility study determined that the organization’s current Corps Community Center at 1100 Avenue E was inadequate to provide the ever increasing services so badly needed in Dodge City. This led to the creation of a steering committee and a campaign to raise money for the purchase a new facility. Since then, the Salvation Army has been in negotiations to purchase a building located at 1500 E Wyatt Earp Blvd., the former location of High Plains Journal.
“Receiving this grant gets our organization one step closer to being able to purchase the new building,” Roberto Davila, Salvation Army captain, said. “The new building will greatly impact the community by allowing us to expand our programs and resources.”
The annual “Sharing Success” grant opportunity, capped at $20,000, is made possible by Victory Electric’s governing board of trustees, in partnership with CoBank — a cooperative bank that provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers. CoBank’s $5 million Sharing Success fund matches charitable contributions made by its cooperative members to local nonprofits in their individual communities.
The matching grant program is designed to celebrate the vital role that cooperatives play in individual communities across the country. CoBank states that collaborating with their customers to support worthy causes they care about is a great way for them to make a positive difference and fulfill its mission of service to rural America. Since its inception in 2012, the program has generated more than $50 million in total charitable donations, primarily in rural areas across the country.
“Thanks to our board of trustees and CoBank, the ‘Sharing Success’ Grant has enabled Victory Electric make an impact to give back to the communities we serve,” said Shane Laws, Victory Electric CEO. “We urge all eligible nonprofits to take advantage of the Sharing Success grant opportunity and together we can make a meaningful impact in rural Kansas.”
In the last nine years, Victory Electric has awarded $105,000 in Sharing Success grants to local nonprofits. To be eligible, an organization must be a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Bucklin Library received the grant in 2012 to help fund the construction of its new library building. In 2013, Mission of Mercy was awarded the grant funding for its free dental clinic in Dodge City. The Stauth Memorial Museum in Montezuma applied the grant in 2014 toward the “Suits in Space” Smithsonian exhibit. In 2015, local shelter and food bank the Manna House was awarded the grant to repair and improve its facilities. The Depot Theater upgraded its theater sound system in 2016. In 2017, the Ford Country Historical Society made repairs to preserve the history in the Home of Stone - Mueller Schmidt House. In 2018, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office received funding for security upgrades. The Ingalls Recreation Commission funded repairs and upgrades to the Ingalls community swimming pool in 2019.
For more information or if an organization is interested in applying for the 2021 CoBank Sharing Success grant, the online application is available on our website and due no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 12, 2021.