Nonprofits with a heart for Avondale's health and human services got a green light to snatch some extra cash. The city's Contributions Assistance Program started taking applications on April 23, making a pool of grants available to organizations aiming to uplift Avondale residents' lives.

To qualify, charities need to provide direct services for Avondale's welfare, with local efforts getting priority. These groups also need to have a clean slate with past funding reports, and they've got to prove they can to also raise funds elsewhere. Don't get too greedy though; $20,000 is the max a single award will hit.

Interested parties should scoot over to the City of Avondale's website to get their hands on an application. And heads up, you've got until 5:00 P.M., May 23 to turn in all that paperwork – and not a minute more. That's the hard deadline.

The Avondale Neighborhood and Family Service Department can be contacted at 623-333-2720, or shoot an email to [email protected], detailed in Avondale's official announcement.