Daily Press Writer
MONTROSE — An initiative through the Colorado Trust makes $300,000 available to community projects aimed at uniting diverse cultures within Montrose and Delta counties.
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The trust moved the initiative to a local angle in 2004, providing grants for such projects as immigrant resource centers, English as a second language classes, health care and mentoring programs to 10 Colorado communities.
“We expanded the initiative late last year because of successful collaboration at the local level,” senior program officer Susan Downs-Karkos said. “And we knew there would be other communities out there interested.”
Last winter, $10,000 was allocated to nine communities statewide to finance the organization of integration-minded projects. Once the project ideas are submitted to the Colorado Trust, it will begin financing the projects with grants of $75,000 per year for four years, Downs-Karkos said.
Downs-Karkos said she expects plans to be submitted by fall, with the projects beginning “a month or so” later.
Elizabeth Roscoe is coordinator for “One Community,” representing Delta and Montrose counties in obtaining the Colorado Trust grants. She organizes community forums in such towns as Delta, Olathe and Montrose to ascertain a feel for what projects would best serve these areas.
“We gather that information throughout this planning period and it is very challenging to work with these two counties,” Roscoe said. “And the plan will have to address whatever comes out of all these.”
The next meeting occurs Saturday, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at United Methodist Church in Montrose. Another takes place June 23 at the Delta Middle School cafeteria in Delta.
About 50 people attended a meeting in Olathe a few weeks ago, including folks from Cora and other regions of Mexico, she said.
“People feel it is important to have something in place that welcomes newcomers, helps them orient into the community and provides resources,” Roscoe said.
She said another priority voiced at the Olathe meeting is to identify local leaders in the immigrant community and connect them to leaders in the community where they make their homes.
“The third priority, which was a theme throughout the meeting, was people really wanting to have more opportunities for cultural engagement, breaking the barriers and getting to know one another,” she said.
Roscoe said the Colorado Trust’s yearly installments to support the projects will likely be distributed among multiple communities within the counties.
She said the area’s plan should be submitted by Oct. 15.
In 2000, Colorado’s immigrant population consisted of about 55 percent from Latin America, 20 percent from Asia and 18 percent from Europe, and continues to grow, according to a Colorado Trust brochure.
Many newcomers face challenges regarding language, housing, health care access, education, employment and discrimination, according to the brochure.
“What we’re caring about is what’s going on with our local communities,” Downs-Karkos said. “We have to deal with the realities that are in our community every day — so how can we make the most of that?”
Contact Robert Allen via e-mail at roberta@montrosepress.com
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