$100,000 Grant Received for Resource Center

JournalNews :: 4.28.05 —

The former Western States Machine building may become the Butler County Resource Center.

The former Western States Machine 95,000-square-foot building on Fairgrove Avenue in Hamilton will be the site of the new Butler County Resource Center .

Hamilton-A Facility that would house local nonprofit agencies under one roof has received some much needed funding to get started.

The Butler County United Way recently received a $100,000 grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation to fund the $6.2 million Butler County Resource Center .

The 95,000-square foot center will be located in the former Western States Machine building at 1798 Fairgrove Ave. in Hamilton .

“This award is extremely helpful to the Butler County Resource Center project in several ways,” said Maureen Noe , Butler County United Way president and chief executive officer.  “It represents the first dollars invested and is a tremendous jump-start for the project.”

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation enables philanthropic giving to various agencies like the Butler County United Way .

“This is a great project that has two advantages,” said Beth Reiter, vice president of communications and marketing for the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.  “To agencies, it’s going to save them money by locating in the same place and can reduce duplication of services.  To individuals, it’s going to help deliver services better for the client.  Instead of going to different places, they can go to one stop arrangement.”

According to Reiter, local United Way officials presented the project to its volunteer board in hopes of the grant in March.  They competed against 20 or more agencies the grant, officials said.

The resource center will house seven social and human service agencies, according to United Way officials.  Its purpose is to create a cost-effective rental space, keep services close to one another and enable collaboration.

Neyer Properties owns the building, which United Way officials plan to purchase and renovate.

United Way officials said they hope to open the center in 2006.

The grant is the first gift received by the United Way toward the $6.2 million cost of the project, officials say.

Butler County United Way provides resource needs through various agency partner programs in Hamilton and Fairfield , West Chester , Fairfield , Ross, Morgan, Liberty and St. Clair townships.

“The award also validates to prospective funders and philanthropists that this is a project of merit and one that they should invest in,” Noe said.