Idea for FINANCIAL AID to help YTown citizens

[AllanY2525]

I see a lot of commercials on TV about "Government Grant
Books" that list thousands of programs available to private
citizens to provide free financial aid for things like:

Paying mortgage bills
Pay College tuition
Re-training to get a new or better job
Starting a Day-care center
Paying medical bills
Repairing or remodeling a home
Making energy improvements to a home
Starting a small business
Pay Taxes
Child Care
Low-income families purchasing a home

The "lists" go on extensively....

My idea is this:  What if some of Youngstown's local
citizens and community action groups were to start
a Non-profit organization to provide private citizens
in the Mahoning Valley with information and resources on
how to qualify for, and obtain government grant money
from the many available programs that exist? You could
call it something like "Mahoning Valley Grant Aid "

Government grant money is free money - it is usually
non-taxable and does not have to be paid back.  It just
seems that with all the available programs out there,
it would be a shame to lose out on money that is available
but is not being used - simply because folks are not aware
that it is out there, or because folks do not know how to
apply for and obtain it.

The North Side Coalition, for example could make good
use of some of this money by educating it's members
and constituents on how to qualify for, apply for and
receive grant money to repair and restore some of the
beautiful, sturdy old homes on the North Side of town,
make them more energy-efficient, clean up blighted
neighborhoods, etc.

The cost of putting together a program could be quite low
in terms of actual money - the main cost would be the
time donated by caring and interested individuals willing
to make the program work for the prople of Youngstown
and neighboring communities.  

There is lots of information available on the Web, it's
mainly a matter of gathering it all up, organizing it and
then making it available to people locally via a SINGLE
Web site - or via a locality somewhere in the city for
folks who do not have Internet access.

There might even be grant money available to start the
Non-profit organization to help folks get grant money!


Thoughts, anyone?