If you have sensed a subtle yet colorful change in the county unfolding since spring, you are not hallucinating.
In early spring, Kelly Gourley, director of the Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation (LCDEF) announced new grant opportunities for communities with a population of less than 5,000 residents. One such opportunity was a SEED grant.
The purpose of SEED grants is to support the economic revitalization of Kansas communities under 5,000 population through investments in quality-oflife initiatives.
SEED grants are funded under the Technology-Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institutions Development and Expansion Act (KS Stat § 9-2324 [2021]), which was enacted in 2021 to promote and facilitate the development and growth of trust banks in Kansas; regulate fiduciary financial activities and custodial services and Kansas; and to locate trust bank office space in economic growth zones in rural Kansas.
The SEED grant program is administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce.
From about $49,000 in SEED grant funding awarded to Lincoln County, LCEDF initiated a program called Paint the Town. The foundation supplied paint and some supplies while armies of volunteers provided the labor and additional supplies.
The project helped instill a renewed sense of pride in their community for everyone who volunteered in one way or another. While some helped with the prep work, others painted, spackled, repaired, made sure the others were hydrated and/or brought snacks.
More recently, Lincoln PRIDE partnered with Upward Bound, to arrange an evening in Lincoln, helping with community projects. That evening was June 27, and a group of 21 high school students and sponsors from Upward Bound came to Lincoln to use their talents and skills to help complete projects.
The PRIDE committee identified several projects for the students. There were projects at the basketball slab, tennis court, courthouse, Lincoln County Historical Museum, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and McReynolds Park.
The Lincoln PRIDE Committee took leadership of the project from planning to execution. PRIDE members are Lisa Feldkamp, Chris Gerbitz, Carly Errebo, Shelby Errebo, Vicki Hook and Breanna Brown. The PRIDE committee thanks special volunteers Kris Heinze, Kelly Gourley, Sue Weber and Dawn Harlow for their time and energy, the Bank of Tescott for providing the water and Lincoln Grocery for providing the ice to keep the water cold and volunteers hydrated.
