Elgin allocates unexpected federal funding to nonprofits

Christmas doesn't technically arrive for about seven months, but it sure felt like that for some Elgin-area nonprofit groups this week.

"We're thrilled," said Kathy Hazelwood, vice president of development for the Association for Individual Development. "We're extremely pleased because we thought we were going to miss out this year."

Elgin city leaders on Wednesday accepted and doled out nearly $227,000 in federal funding that it didn't expect to receive.

Each year, the city administers money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development though the Community Development Block Grant Program.

Organizations asked for some $1.3 million, but the city had only about $828,000 to spend.

AID is one of the organizations that didn't make the cut a few months ago, but now it will receive $39,000 to make energy-efficient improvements like better windows and upgraded furnaces on two Elgin group homes for 13 disabled adults.

Also, an AID telethon, which is its major fundraiser for 2009 recently fell about $45,000 short of its goal, so the money helps makes up for that shortfall.

"It's nice to see additional funds and (that) some worthy projects will receive assistance," said Councilman David Kaptain.

The money is from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Elgin's Community Crisis Center will receive about $40,000 for building improvements and energy-efficient upgrades.

This is a boost considering the city recently shelved the Fox River Festival of Balloons. The event raised about $20,000 each year for the center, which helps 6,000 battered women and children each year and acts as a last-resort food pantry.

The remaining funding, $102,000 and $45,399, will go toward grants for low- to moderate-income residents to improve their homes and for the city staff to administer the program, respectively.

Funding: Organization that had been turned down now gets money