ECGRA Grants Strengthen Local Community Facilities
The Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) awarded $1,649,705.00 for their Building a Better Future - Community Facilities grants, which will be distributed to 19 community facilities across Erie County.
"The critical role that community facilities play in the community and economic development of a region cannot be overstated," said Dr. Perry Wood, Executive Director, ECGRA. "Serving as a hub spot for social, educational, cultural, and recreational acitivities, these facilities have the power to transform neighborhoods creating vibrant, inclusive spaces with long lasting impacts."
The Community Facilities grant program is an investment that provides funding for capital improvements, programming, and equipment for publicly accessible community centers. Community centers in Erie County have provided residents with basic health and well-being, job training, mentoring, education, nutrition, and other benefits to a large cross-section of the community.
"ECGRA has provided the Mercy Center for Women and Mercy Anchor Community Center with transformational gifts for both facilities throughout the years," said Jennie Hagerty, Executive Director, Mercy Center for Women. "To allocate a grant to an anchor building where funding affords individuals the opportunity to live in an aprtment, with wrap-around services, is a victory."
"We are grateful to ECGRA for their partnership and belief in our mission. The ECGRA team took the time to witness the project, provide the funding, and transform a vacant building into a future of hope."
"The Building a Better Future - Community Facilities grant program is a saving grace to St. Martin Center's physical structure, programming, and mission," said David Gonzalez, MS, CEO, St. Martin Center, Inc. "COVID impacted our ability to manage a costly new roof, and our current funding is allocated where it is needed most - which is to help Erie County families to have what they need."
"We are incredibly grateful to ECGRA for ensuring that we can be here for years to come!"
To see a complete list of community facilities funded through the Building a Better Future funds, click here.
An impact investing organization, ECGRA's mission is to empower the nonprofit sector, municipal governments, and economic development agencies to revitalize Erie County. ECGRA is endowed with local share gaming revenue from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania via the Horse Race Gaming Act. Local share gaming revenue is an assessment of the licensed gambling industry in Pennyslvania. ECGRA administers local share gaming revenue on behalf of Erie County.
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