To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Trish Muller, CPA, Finance Director
Title
Discussion/Direction of the Public Safety Commission’s Recommendations for the 2026 Philip S. Miller Resource Grant Program, Eight Applications
Body
________________________________________________________________________________
Executive Summary
The Philip S. Miller Resource Grant Program (PSMRGP) funded by the Philip S. Miller Trust Fund aims to support social and human services in Castle Rock. Eligibility requirements state that the organization holds 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) status, has been operating for a minimum of five years, and the funding request must include at least one of the provisions for the necessities of life: water, energy, food and/or shelter assistance. A cap of five individual grants shall be awarded annually. In 2023, Town Council increased the budgeted amount for this program to $45,000.
Eight qualified organizations applied for the 2026 Philip S. Miller Resource Grant with a total of $97,500 in requested funds. The Public Safety Commission (PSC) reviewed the annual applications and is recommending the following award amounts:
|
Applicant |
Recommendation |
|
American Legion Post 1187 |
$5,000 |
|
Crisis Center |
$0 |
|
New Hope Presbyterian |
$7,500 |
|
Faith Lutheran Church Food Pantry |
$5,000 |
|
Freedom Service Dogs |
$0 |
|
Help & Hope Center |
$20,000 |
|
Lady Trailblazer Inc |
$0 |
|
Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Castle Rock |
$7,500 |
|
TOTAL |
$45,000 |
Staff presents the Public Safety Commission’s recommendations for Council’s approval.
Discussion
The Public Safety Commission reviewed the applications (Attachment A) at its October 2 meeting. Representatives from each non-profit organization attended the PSC meeting to give a short presentation on their organization and the purpose of the funding request. The Commission discussed the merits of each application, reviewed the budgets presented for each project, and referred to the history of granted amounts (Attachment B).
American Legion Post 1187 requested $5,000. American Legion Post 1187 is the nation’s largest wartime veteran’s service organization devoted to serving fellow active-duty military and their families, mentoring youth, promoting strong national security, and advocating patriotism across the U.S. Requested funds will assist homeless/low-income veterans and current service members in meeting their food, shelter, and energy needs. American Legion Post 1187 serves more than 180 local Post members and veterans at local retirement facilities.
Crisis Center requested $20,000. Established in 1985, the Crisis Center exists to end domestic violence through advocacy, education, and prevention, while helping communities live free of violence. Funds will be used to support operations of their emergency shelter and community-based advocacy programs.
Faith Lutheran Church Food Pantry requested $20,000. The Faith Lutheran Church (FLC) Food Pantry aims to live out FLC’s mission of “Loving God, Loving Each Other, and Serving Our Community. All funds will be spent to purchase food items.
Freedom Service Dogs requested $5,000. Freedom Service Dogs aims to provide service dogs to all veterans and first responders in need, regardless of location. Funding would be used to help pay for travel expenses.
Help & Hope Center (HHC) requested $20,000. The Help & Hope Center is a human service organization whose mission is to meet the immediate needs of Douglas and Elbert County residents who are in financial distress and at risk of becoming homeless. HHC will use grant funds to help Douglas County and Elbert County residents obtain food and food resources.
Lady Trailblazer Inc requested $2,500. Lady Trailblazer’s goal is to empower and expose girls to STEM early on and help eliminate barriers in the classroom. Funds will be used to support the student participants throughout the academic school year and for summer camps where their Girls’ Persist Program is currently being offered.
New Hope Presbyterian Church requested $10,000. New Hope Presbyterian Church has a long-standing history of helping community members who are experiencing financial difficulty. 100 percent of funds will go directly to providing financial assistance to eligible recipients.
Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Castle Rock requests $15,000. Saint Vincent de Paul Society’s goal is to support as many individuals as they can. Funds will support Castle Rock low-income and / or those who stumble on a sudden hardship such as job loss or need of rental, utilities, etc.
Based on these considerations, the Commission has made the following recommendations:
|
Applicant |
Requested |
PSC Recommends |
|
American Legion Post 1187 |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
Crisis Center |
$20,000 |
$0 |
|
New Hope Presbyterian |
$10,000 |
$7,500 |
|
Faith Lutheran Church Food Pantry |
$20,000 |
$5,000 |
|
Freedom Service Dogs |
$5,000 |
$0 |
|
Help & Hope Center |
$20,000 |
$20,000 |
|
Lady Trailblazer Inc |
$2,500 |
$0 |
|
Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Castle Rock |
$15,000 |
$7,500 |
|
TOTAL |
$97,500 |
$45,000 |
Budget Considerations
The 2026 Budget includes $45,000 in the Philip S. Miller Fund for the 2025 Philip S. Miller Resource Grant Program.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends that Council approve the Public Safety Commission’s recommendations for the 2026 Philip S. Miller Resource Grant Program.
Proposed Motion
I move to approve the Public Safety Commission’s recommendations and award the 2026 Philip S. Miller Resource Grant Program monies as follows:
|
American Legion Post 1187 |
$5,000 |
|
New Hope Presbyterian |
$7,500 |
|
Faith Lutheran Church Food Pantry |
$5,000 |
|
Help & Hope Center |
$20,000 |
|
Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Castle Rock |
$7,500 |
Alternative Motions
I move to approve the Public Safety Commission’s recommendations for the 2026 Philip S. Miller Resource Grant Program, with the following conditions: (list conditions).
I move to continue this item to the Town Council meeting on _____ date to allow additional time to (list information needed).
Attachments
Attachment A: 2026 Applications
Attachment B: Five-Year History of Granted Amounts
Attachment C: Philip S. Miller Resource Grant Overview