During a press conference Friday afternoon, executive directors of organizations part of the Neighborhood Collaborative Project battled snowy, frigid temperatures as funds needed to operate remain frozen.
“We chose this spot because we started here,” Andy Carey said. “Popping up tents on the corner of Frost and Jefferson, talking to people and seeing what they needed.”
Carey, a social worker with MC Collaborative, joined 12 local organizations to establish NCP, focusing on anti-poverty initiatives and community development programs.
“The goal of this group is to give people access, whether it’s a pair of socks or housing,” he said.
Each organization relied on the Community Resource Collaborative as its fiscal agent, distributing funds from a $7.2 million federal grant. However, after mismanaging the resources, the checks have stopped, and an investigation is underway.
“Last week, I authorized a forensic audit of the alleged mismanagement of funds by the Community Resource Center (CRC) for the Neighborhood Collaborative Project (NCP),” Monrow County executive Adam Bello said in a statement released Friday evening.