MOSES LAKE — Seven charitable organizations received funding from the city of Moses Lake through a grant program established last year to funnel charitable donation requests to one place. 

“Previously (donations) had been going to groups such as these by the city from the general fund and other sources. But it wasn’t tracked or organized,” said Mayor Dustin Swartz. 

Moses Lake City Council members awarded money to the Moses Lake Senior Center, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin, Peace in the Lord’s Kitchen, Restore City Church, Habitat for Humanity, Soup on Saturdays and Forward Operating Base Columbia.  

“Human services” grant recipients must demonstrate that they are meeting basic needs, serve vulnerable and low to moderate income residents, do not duplicate services already provided by the city and promote self-sufficiency and independent living, according to the city ordinance. 

Lizabeth Murillo-Busby, assistant to the city manager, told council members that a committee of city employees evaluated the applications and recommended the funding amounts. The city had $92,000 to spend. 

Council member David Skaug asked about other money collected by the city and designated for social services. But Swartz said at least some of that money was already allocated, including the “mobile outreach and transportation services” program, which has a contract with the city to provide help to people who are seeking treatment for substance abuse.  

“Unfortunately, funds don’t often exceed the need,” Swartz said.  

Kim Pope, Boys and Girls Club Director, said the $20,000 grant will be used for the club’s teen center.  

“This is such an important age group for us,” Pope said. “We had 133 teens in our program in 2024, in 2025 we had 192. Our program is growing.”  

The program outgrew its original home at the McGraw Clubhouse at Park Orchard Elementary, moved to Vanguard Academy and outgrew that space, she said. The summer program moved to Midway Elementary. 

“The teens kept coming,” Pope said.  

The program provides services that young people need, she said. Its current home is Frontier Middle School. 

The senior center received $35,000 for its meal program, Murillo-Busby said. Habitat for Humanity was awarded $20,000 for its home repair program, called “Brush with Kindness.”  

Peace in the Lord’s Kitchen also operates a meal program and received $3,000. Soup on Saturdays also received $3,000. 

“Staff has seen the work that they do in the community,” Murillo-Busby said.  

Its operators are raising money for a trailer they can use to serve meals to homeless people and others in need. 

Restore City Church received $3,000 for its “Back to School” backpack giveaway program. Forward Operating Base Columbia provides assistance to veterans. 

Pope said the teen program had experienced cuts in some of the other grants that funded it, and Murillo-Busby said other applicants had experienced similar funding cuts.  

Swartz said donations or grants are optional for cities, and some don’t do them, but providing some assistance was something city officials thought was important. 

“It was definitely a struggle to determine how much we could make available in these trying financial times that we’re in,” Swartz said during the March 10 council meeting. “The entities that were selected, I think, were selected largely due to the amount of community involvement that goes into those organizations. It’s not just the organization working on its own – there are people providing funds or volunteer hours. These are very much community-based, community-driven organizations. We feel as the city, I think, that we’re there to support the work the citizens are doing.”