At today’s CAC meeting, the committee awarded five $1,000 mini-grants. The mini-grants were similar to the three that were awarded in January.

This month’s funded projects range from technology-based project to peer-to-peer-based programs. The committee looked over each grant and awarded the full amount requested to:

-Best Buddies of Nevada: Best Buddies of Nevada sought money for its project e-buddies, which helps people with disabilities connect with technology to achieve their personal goals. The money will support managerial expenses. The committee saw the e-buddies portion of the program as a way this Las Vegas-based program could begin to reach out to other areas in the state.

-Down Syndrome Network of Northern Nevada: As part of the organization’s First Call program, which seeks to give support to new parents of children with Down Syndrome, CAC funded welcome baskets and in-person support to the DSNNN. The welcome baskets will hold traditional new baby gifts and information about Down Syndrome and support for children with Down Syndrome. The money will also fund promotion of the program to hospitals and other health care professionals. The committee was impressed by the DSNNN’s specific and concrete goals.

-National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI seeks to educate people with mental illness about managing their illnesses in a variety of ways. The money from CAC will support training and outreach in a peer-to-peer structure. The committee felt that outreach to people with mental illness was particularly important and that the peer-to-peer model would be especially helpful.

-Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living: The NNCIL proposed purchasing bus passes for youth with disabilities in support of their transition program. With the $1,000, NNCIL will buy eight 31-ride passes and 480 2-ride passes. Again, the committee appreciated NNCIL’s specific and measurable goals.

-Northern Nevada Respite and Volunteer Experiences: RAVE programs support families with children with disabilities and their respite care and trains volunteers to work with those families. The proposal to CAC would help fund operational expenses, including marketing costs. The committee particularly liked RAVE’s inclusive nature: RAVE’s volunteers are high school students.

This was the first meeting when the committee members had a rubric to evaluate the grants before the meeting. The rubric is used mainly as a way to help members organize their thoughts. Part of the afternoon was spent re-writing what the next meeting’s rubric will address.