The Yellowstone Country Assistance Network (YCAN) expects to receive over $550,000 in grants this coming year to provide a range of services, if the application for supplemental funding from the CARES Act funding is approved.

The State of Wyoming received $1.5 billion through the federal CARES Act to address impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Wyoming Department of Health, eligible nonprofits were allotted about $3 million of that sum.

From this supplemental funding to the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) program, YCAN has applied for $388,286 to serve residents in Park, Big Horn, Washakie, and Hot Springs counties. Of that amount, funding for Park County is $183,186, funding for Big Horn County is $107,543, funding for Hot Springs County is $44,048, and funding for Washakie County is $53,509.

The funding will help residents whose incomes are no more than 200% of the federal poverty level, with costs of rent, rental deposits, utilities, utility deposits and healthcare services.

The start date for this grant is currently unknown, but the Big Horn and Washakie counties funding will run until Sept. 30. The Park and Hot Springs counties funding will run until September 2022, or until the funding runs out.

Additionally, the organization will receive $167,455 from the CSBG program for the federal fiscal year 2021, which begins in October.

“That’s the one we usually work with,” said Julie Dunlap, CEO of YCAN.

This funding will serve residents in Park and Hot Springs counties. In previous federal fiscal years, they also served Big Horn and Washakie counties, but they will not be the eligible entity for those counties in the coming year.

The funding is used for a number of community services, and YCAN coordinates with Park County Court Supervised Treatment Program, Heritage Health Care, Crisis Intervention Services, Help Center at Common Ground and Hope Agency for many of its clients’ needs.

At one time, YCAN functioned as a pass-through organization, and those service providers would apply to YCAN to support their services. This created a lot of work for the partners, as the grant requirements are complex.

“It’s a really cumbersome grant,” Dunlap said.

Now, YCAN delivers services through a referral system to reduce the workload on those service providers.

Dunlap said the aim of coordinating all these services is to ensure clients’ needs are addressed holistically.

“The goal is to transition people to self-sufficiency and not just be a Band-Aid,” she said.

Typically, the CSBG money serves residents who live at 125% of the federal poverty level, but Dunlap said that might change this year.

YCAN also received a $5,000 grant from the Wyoming Community Foundation to support services in its four county area.

The overall mission of the organization is to, along with its local service partners, support health, housing, employment status, overcome obstacles and end economic hardship for people in the Big Horn Basin.