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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;">P.O. BOX 6015 <br />COLUMBIA, MO 65205</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">February 13, 2025</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Leigh Kottwitz
<br />Neighborhood Services Manager
<br />City of Columbia
<br />Housing & Neighborhood Services Department
<br />573.874.7504
<br />Leigh.kottwitz@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">City of Columbia Love Your Block mini-grant applications open Feb. 14</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <p style="display:inline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The City of Columbia will open the application process for Love Your Block Mini-Grants on Friday, Feb. 14. Mini-grants up to $2,500 will be awarded to eligible projects intended to support neighborhoods in areas of central and northeast Columbia.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Applications will be available at </span><a href="http://www.como.gov/volunteer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CoMo.gov/volunteer</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or at the City’s Housing and Neighborhood Services Department, 11 N. Seventh St. Submissions will be accepted online or by paper application. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grant applications must be received by March 21 by Housing and Neighborhood Services, with recipients announced by April 7. Projects must be completed by Aug. 31. Examples of projects eligible for funding include community gardens, tree planting, public art projects, minor home repairs and neighborhood pride and identification.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Application assistance will be available at the following times, where community members can meet with City staff: </span></p>
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<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Tuesday, Feb. 25, 4-7:15 p.m. at the Columbia Public Library, 100 W. Broadway</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Thursday, Feb. 27, 4:30-7:30 p.m., at the ARC, 1701 W. Ash St.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Wednesday, March 5, 1-3 p.m. at the ARC, 1701 W. Ash St.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Saturday, March 8, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Columbia Public Library, 100 W. Broadway</span></li>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">City staff will also be available to discuss mini-grants during the Community Summit, Saturday,</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">March 15, from 9 a.m. to noon at City Hall, 701 E. Broadway.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Columbia is one of 16 cities in the 2024-2026 cohort, and the first city in Missouri to participate in Love Your Block. Funding for Love Your Block is provided by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins and is intended to provide financial support to neighborhood groups, organizations, schools and non-profits who are supporting quality of life for central and northeast neighborhoods, particularly those in qualified census tracts. </span></p>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">More information about Love Your Block mini-grants and the application process can be found at </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">CoMo.gov/volunteer</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align:center;"><p>City of Columbia Vision<br>
<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
<p>City of Columbia Mission<br>
<em>To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
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