Grant Stories

The Community Resource Center of Teton Valley exists to support community members by providing free, confidential services that ensure that Teton Valley residents' basic needs are being met. They've been around for nine years, and during that time, they have:

• Assisted over 980 unique households in addressing crisis situations and moving toward stability
• Provided more than $282,000 in emergency financial assistance for basic needs
• Connected community members to other hundreds of thousands of dollars coming from local, state, and federal programs for rent and utility assistance.

This busy organization was recently in need of a computer upgrade for its case manager and client services coordinator, two staff members who are "in the trenches" making CRCTV's magic happen. CHCF was able to award a grant to meet this need. 

"With the much needed computer upgrades, made possible by the CHC Foundation, our case management team is able to serve clientele with enhanced security, efficiency, and productivity," reported Executive Director Alexandra Bontecou. "This technology upgrade will help us to streamline our work so that we can focus our energy on what is most important: those who are reaching out for help."

The West Jefferson School District's administration building has a big side job: It's the main social hub for activities in Terreton and its surrounding areas.

This multi-use building does everything from hosting weddings and funerals, to providing space for 4H groups, to providing a stage for cultural activities and performances, and everything in between.

In 2023 the school district began some renovations on the building to increase its functionality and usability. Needing a little financial boost to finish up some of these renovations, WJSD reached out to CHC Foundation with a grant request. 

We were happy to help support the improvements made to this community-boosting powerhouse of a building.  

Promise Ridge, located in the historic Minnie Hitt Home in Idaho Falls, has provided emergency shelter for women and children since 2018. Guests share common meal areas, work together to care for the home, and work on developing relationships and skills within the community. Promise Ridge is able to house 5 families at a time in this family-focused environment, with the goal of helping the residents transition to permanent housing within 90 days. In 2024, they housed 19 families, with 34 children, for a total of 1678 nights of safe housing. The house's bunk beds, which were designed for more traditional use and have been used in the house since its doors opened, were deteriorating rapidly, creating concerns about safety. Some bottom bunks had to be removed entirely, decreasing sleeping spaces available for residents. Promise Ridge sought a grant from CHC Foundation to purchase 4 industrial-quality bunk beds to replace the traditional beds. We were happy to help fund this project and provider a safer, healthier sleep environment for transitioning families. 

The North Fremont Fire District is a volunteer-based, rural fire department with a budget focused on the basics. Their firefighting team relies on radio systems to provide situational awareness and response coordination in emergency situations. Unfortunately, they had been operating on an aging, unreliable communications system, and some of their radios that were incompatible and nonfuctional. This serious disruption in their ability to communicate during high-stakes situations increased the risk of damage to equipment, property, and lives with every emergency call. CHC Foundation was happy to provide a grant that covers the costs of a communications equipment upgrade and helps ensure the safety of our first responders. 

Ballet Etude, located in Rexburg, Idaho, is a dance studio with a mission to "elevate the art of ballet in Rexburg by fostering a community dedicated to excellence in training and performance." 

This year the studio decided to take on an ambitious artistic project: a full performance of The Nutcracker. With its tuition income going toward studio operations, rent, and scholarships, the organization lacked the resources to purchase the costumes required for a performance of this size and caliber. 

Fortunately, CHC Foundation was able to provide a grant that enabled Ballet Etude to purchase costumes that not only made this production possible, but will make future productions possible as well. "[This grant] will make such a difference for our organization for years to come," commented Madissen Fujimoto, co-founder and assistant artistic director of the organization. 

This year's Nutcracker performance also featured an exciting visit from Santa Claus, who plans to return again for future Christmastime performances.  

If you live in or near Idaho Falls and have kids, chances are you've been to the Artitorium, an interactive art center designed just for children. It features multiple exhibits that enable kids to create their own art and experiment with different mediums. This includes several computers that allow pint-sized patrons to experiment with digital creativity. Unfortunately, computers don't last forever, and these decade-old computers desperately needed to be replaced. CHC Foundation was happy to provide a grant to help fund the purchase of more up-to-date software and help support the 10,000+ kids passing through the Artitorium every year on field trips and with their families. 

The Bingham County Senior Center is a hub of activity and connection for seniors in Blackfoot and its surrounding areas. It not only provides meals on wheels to local seniors, but also serves in-house lunches and provides nutrition education, a food pantry, housing support, and many social activities (including bingo, card groups, chair volleyball, line dancing, dominos, toenail clinics).

In 2025, the organization delivered around 27,000 meals to seniors in their homes using its fleet of four vehicles. One vehicle, a 25-year-old Subaru, reached the end of its lifespan and needed to be replaced.

CHC Foundation was happy to provide a grant to make this happen.

Teton Valley Trails and Pathways grooms a network of pathways and trails throughout Teton Valley. Fueled mostly by volunteer labor, the organization works year-round to connect trails and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation. The organization, along with District 33 Snowmobile Grooming, had been relying on less-than-ideal and temporary solutions to store the expensive equipment required to keep these trails accessible and safe. CHC Foundation was able to grant funds to help support the construction of a storage and maintenance facility to meet this need. 

The Historic Rexburg Tabernacle, owned by the City of Rexburg, is a building used by the city to provide cultural events and performances for the entire community throughout the year. The Tabernacle is home to the Rexburg Tabernacle Orchestra, Upper Valley Women's Choir, Rexburg Children's Choir, and the Heritage Youth Symphony. It also hosts other guest performers and concerts throughout the year. 

The Tabernacle's old, wood podium needed to be replaced. It was difficult to climb on, and lacked guardrails, creating a tenuous safety situation for conductors who at times needed help getting on the podium and who were constantly in danger of falling off of it. Additionally, the heavy podium was difficult to move and created a potential for injury for those who teamed up to move it from location to location.

CHC Foundation was happy to provide a grant to fund the purchase of a new podium, one that includes a step for accessibility, a guardrail to protect from backwards falls, and wheels to make moving it easier. It is light enough to be moved by a single person.