CFA Grants $417k to Volunteer Fire Departments in Special Grant Cycle

The Community Foundation of Abilene has granted around $417,000 to volunteer fire departments from a special grant cycle that was held before the March wildfires ever happened.

The grant opportunity opened at the beginning of 2022 to provide funding for volunteer fire departments’ ongoing equipment and operational needs. An anonymous donor provided these funds specifically to support area VFDs, and the idea was to meet their needs ahead of the typical fire season. Little did we know just how early and destructive this year's fire season in the Big Country would be.

The March 17th fire outbreak in various parts of the Big Country has prompted even more needs for local VFDs. To help meet these new needs, CFA is managing fire relief funds for the fire-ravaged communities.

The 22 VFDs receiving grants from this special grant cycle include:

• Albany Volunteer Fire Department
• Anson Volunteer Fire Department
• City of Novice Volunteer Fire Department
• City of Tye Volunteer Fire Department
• Cottonwood Volunteer Fire Control Group, Inc
• Cross Plains Volunteer Fire Dept. Inc.
• Eastland Fire Department
• ECCA Volunteer Fire Department
• Eula Volunteer Fire Department
• Lake Coleman VFD and Community Center
• Merkel Volunteer Fire Department
• Moro Volunteer Fire Department
• Nolan Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
• North Lake Brownwood VFD
• Rising Star Volunteer Fire Department
• Roscoe Volunteer Fire Dept
• Rotan Volunteer Fire Department
• Rowena Volunteer Fire Department
• Santa Anna Volunteer Fire Department
• South Coleman County Volunteer Fire Department
• View Volunteer Fire Department
• Winters Volunteer Fire Department