Niagara Falls Highland Clubhouse project gets $50,000 grant
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NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A grassroots effort to turn a vacant home in Niagara Falls' North End neighborhood into a community center recently got a big financial boost.
The Highland Clubhouse project received a $50,000 community development block grant, which will be used to rehab a dilapidated home on Grove Avenue.
The co-founders of the Highland Clubhouse want to transform the vacant home into a community gathering space. They envision it as a place for both kids and adults, where they can have tutoring, mentoring, child care, workshops, and communCo-founders Keyona Dunn and Krista Ehasz say they have a deep bench of volunteers, local businesses, and community advocates that want to play a part in turning the blight into a ray of hope for the City of Niagara Falls.
"We have a lot of volunteers who are ready to go and who have been waiting for us to say go. We are happy to finally get the property and let them know we can start now. This is going to happen," said Ehasz.
The COVID-19 pandemic and a change in city administration over the past eight months threw a wrench in their plans and their fundraising efforts.
They have to go before the city council for project re-approval when the council reconvenes in September. They don't expect there to be any roadblocks since they were previously approved and also because they just got a grant from the city.
The group behind the Highland Clubhouse hasn't been able to hold any fundraising events due to health and safety guidelines, so they are relying on an online donation campaign.
Since they can't do any work on the future clubhouse yet, they are encouraging people to get involved in the community through virtual volunteering.
Ehasz and Dunn hope to officially close on the property in October, so they can begin work to shore up the building before winter and start inside projects.
They hope to have the Highland Clubhouse up and running by late summer 2021.ity events.