KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) applied for a five-year, $200-million federal grant with the EPA to invest in reducing greenhouse gas, adding jobs and saving energy in the Kansas City area.
The money would go to organizations that work to better the environment, foster community and promote sustainability.
KC Community Gardens is one group that would benefit.
At Pendleton Heights Community Orchard, volunteer Whitney Barnardo has seen a direct impact on her community. Not only does the garden bring fresh fruits to the area, but Barnardo said it's brought her neighborhood to life.
"It just creates this communal space that’s inviting and safe," Barnardo said. "Maybe they meet a new neighbor that they would’ve never overlapped with otherwise, and that creates connection that’s really positive."
KC Community Gardens would be given around $1.3 million to bring at least 100 more gardens and orchards to Kansas City.
"I think this grant will provide more of those opportunities that will be impactful for many generations," Barnardo said.
Tom Jacobs, chief resiliency officer at MARC, led the application process. For him, this grant would allow Kansas City to set the foundation for the future.
"Creating more jobs, improving the environment, enhancing public health — all at the same time," Jacobs said. "With this level of funding, our hope is that we can really make a transformative impact on this community so five years from today we look back we can say, 'We really made a difference.'"
Jacobs said the EPA will make a decision on the grant by July.
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