STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Families relying on the Lincoln County Youth Center in Richfield are breathing a sigh of relief this weekend after the state covered an unexpected shortfall in federal funds.
The center, which provides services to more than 70 youth and 25 young children, was abruptly notified on July 31 that it would not be receiving $143,000 in federal grant funds that had already been approved as part of the fifth and final year of a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant.
The U.S. Department of Education funds that had been frozen were central to the center’s ability to provide afterschool and early childhood programming.
Happily, the Idaho State Department of Education notified LCYC Director and Lincoln County Commissioner Rebecca Wood that it would be relocating “leftover” funds from Fiscal Year 23 and Fiscal Year 25 to bridge the gap—for now.
“It’s a short-term reprieve that offers room to breath and plan, but the uncertainty remains,” said Shoshone Project Board Chair Candice Stark.
LCYC provides academic support, enrichment activities and a home-cooked meal every day to the children it serves. The early childhood program, which is offered on a sliding fee scale, was poised to expand to serve an additional 30 children.
The sudden funding freeze threatened to derail that, leaving families and staff scrambling.
The U.S. Department of Education is withholding $33.3 million in Idaho, including $170,000 to the Blaine County School District.
In addition to the federal funds it has received, the Lincoln County Youth Center has been supported by The Shoshone Project, a nonprofit based in the Wood River Valley. Valley residents started reaching out during the COVID pandemic to support families in Lincoln county, 40 percent of whom work in Blaine County.
“These communities are our neighbors,” said Stark. “They are also a vital part of the Wood River Valley’s workforce. And when programs like LCYC are destabilized, the ripple effects extend beyond county lines and directly impact our valley.”
The Shoshone Project is primarily funded with money and foods, winter clothing and toys for Holiday Baskets donated by Wood River Valley residents. 100 Men Who Care raised more than $12,000 to support the Shoshone Project’s initiatives in Lincoln County earlier this year.
The Project completed its fifth annual Warm Clothing and Food Drive last December providing assistance to more than 170 families, or 800 individuals. Last year the Project awarded more than $35,000 in grants to eight Lincoln County organizations, including two local food pantries, the Shoshone Public Library, the Shoshone School District free lunch program and the Lincoln County Pool and Recreation District. It also awarded mini-scholarships for Shoshone School District students through the High Desert College Collaborative, which also has Wood River Valley ties.
This year the Shoshone Project awarded $10,000 to the Lincoln County Youth Center. It also facilitated the raffle of a new three-bedroom, two-bath modular home provided by an anonymous donor, with the proceeds to benefit the youth center and nine other Lincoln County organizations.
Tickets can be purchased online at Lincoln County Youth Center’s website at https://www.lincolncountyyouthcenter.com/.
Learn more about The Shoshone Project at www.shoshoneproject.com.