Urban Renewal board to meet
Pine Bluff Urban Renewal Agency’s Monthly Board meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center, 211 W. Third Ave. Details: (870) 209-0323.
A&P commission to meet
The Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission will meet at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the A&P Office, 623 S. Main St. Details: Betty Brown, A&P administrative assistant, (870) 534-2121.
Simmons presents $30,000 donation
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Simmons Bank presented a $30,000 donation to Junior Achievement at the Simmons River Market Building in Little Rock.
The donation will fund work-readiness and financial and entrepreneurial education for children across Simmons’ six-state footprint. The presentation was made in honor of the more than 5,500 volunteer hours that associates donated to their local communities during the sixth annual “Simmons Service Month,” according to a news release.
Blue & You sets new grant opportunities
The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas announced expanded opportunities for schools, nonprofits and municipal groups to receive funding to support their efforts.
New in 2024:
Applications for mini grants, $1,000 to $2,000 projects, will be accepted throughout the year. Applications will be reviewed every two weeks and grants will be awarded until funding is expended;
Applications for full grants up to $200,000 also are available in three separate grant cycles throughout the year.
“In 2024, we’re funding larger grants focusing on three areas — programs addressing the social determinants of health, maternal and pediatric health, and behavioral health,” said Blue & You Foundation President Rebecca Pittillo. “These are three areas of great need in our state, and the foundation wants to support organizations across Arkansas that are working to improve them. It’s important, however, for applicants to be aware of new deadlines for submitting their letters of intent.”
Organizations wishing to apply for grants to fund programs addressing the social determinants of health should submit letters of intent between Jan. 1-12.
“Social determinants of health are the environmental and social factors in your life that impact your well-being,” Pittillo said. “Nonprofit programs that remove the barriers to good health are invaluable, and we encourage these organizations to apply on Jan. 1 for the social determinants of health grant cycle.”
The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serves the state of Arkansas and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Letters of intent for grants addressing maternal and pediatric health must be submitted April 1-12, and for grants addressing behavioral health should be submitted July 1-12. For details and to submit letters of intent, visit at blueandyoufoundationarkansas.org.