The Longmont Chamber of Commerce began a tradition in 2019 in which it provided Unity Fund grants to local nonprofits. This year it announced a record breaking sums to three nonprofits: Growing Gardens of Boulder County, Safe Shelter of St. Vrain and Wild Plum Center.
Growing Gardens is a local nonprofit that cultivates sustainable gardening practices and education to strengthen local food systems, according to a news release from the Chamber. The organization hosts local farm stands from which produce from its gardens is sold at affordable prices. It also donates thousands of pounds of produce to low income families each year.
Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley has served the St. Vrain Valley for 46 years, helping victims and survivors of domestic abuse connect with comprehensive services. It has provided support for nearly 9,000 callers through its 24/7 Crisis Support Line that offers English and Spanish speaking services.
The Wild Plum Center offers early childhood education to low income families in order to prepare children for a lifetime of learning. The center also works with the families to take steps toward self-sufficiency.
The Longmont Chamber accepts applications from local nonprofits to be one of three chosen groups to receive grants during its annual Unity in the Community event. The money raised for the grants comes from the sale of drink tokens which patrons were able to use at on-site vendors such as Dry Land Distillers, Left Hand Brewing Company, Copper Sky Distillery, Beared Brewer Artisan Ales, Kuper Wine Bar and Wyatt’s Wet Goods.
Each nonprofit was granted $1,500 as a base grant, however, the event brought in enough in drink token sales that the Chamber was able to increase each grant to a total of $2,450.
“It is incredibly exciting to see the growth of Unity in the Community,” said Michelle Hovdesven of High Plains Bank, presenting sponsor of the event for the last five years. “We are proud to be part of an event that showcases the incredible attributes of Longmont and drives community engagement in such a fun and supportive way.”
This year’s event took place on Aug. 23 and brought together an estimated 6,000 people.
