Garfield County commissioners have awarded $16,000 to local nonprofit organizations from the county’s Discretionary Grant Fund for the fourth quarter of 2020. 

Grant recipients for this quarter are:

• Mods4Quads, Inc. — $1,000 to help launch a new website focused on assisting the neurologically challenged population to reduce isolation and improve health in Garfield County;
• New Castle Lions Club — $2,000 for new drop boxes for its Lions Optical Assistance Program (LOAP), which collects eyeglasses that are donated by the community and redistributes them to people with the same prescription who need glasses;
• Yampah Mountain High School — $3,000 for its outdoor education program, which develops outdoor, teamwork and leadership skills;
• Colorado River Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) Career Center — $5,000 for training and business internships for local students in technology, manufacturing and renewable energy fields, among others; and,
• COVENTURE — $5,000 for business outreach in the Rifle area.

“We’ll have some funds available if any nonprofit comes in with an emergency request,” Commissioner Tom Jankovsky noted after the grant awards were made during the regular Monday Board of County Commissioners meeting.

The board had $27,500 remaining for the quarterly grant cycle, leaving $11,500 should a nonprofit make a request later this year.

The grants were approved unanimously by the county commissioners 3-0.