Woods Cooperative Association Awarded $2,000 Grant for Bear-Proof Trash Receptacle Initiative
Little River, CA
The Woods Cooperative Association in Little River, California, has been awarded a $2,000 grant from the ROC Association's Better Together Grant program. Spearheaded by Bear and Trash Committee Chair Richard Hubacek and Carol Bishop, Board Secretary, this initiative will support the design and construction of a bear-proof trash receptacle that is also user-friendly for the residents.
The ROC Association received a total of 40 applications for this competitive grant program, which provides up to $2,000 in individual grants to Resident Owned Communities (ROCs) demonstrating significant community needs. With $20,000 in funding provided by ROC USA, the program aims to support community improvement projects across the nation.
During 2023, the Woods Cooperative Association experienced over 20 incidents involving bears, including mothers with cubs, raiding trash bins. These encounters resulted in considerable littering and in one instance, a trash bin being completely overturned. The new bear-proof trash receptacle aims to mitigate these issues by preventing wildlife access while ensuring ease of use for community members.
"The decision-making process was incredibly challenging this year," said Marjory Gilsrud, President of the ROC Association Board and Director of the East, Midwest, and South regions. "All the applicants were deserving of support, but these 11 communities stood out, and we are thrilled to fund their projects."
The Better Together Grant program, initiated in October 2010, was designed by ROC leaders to support community enhancement projects and foster new leadership within ROCs. Since 2011, ROC USA has incorporated these grants into their annual budget, awarding over $219,000 to date to support various community initiatives.
The 2024 Better Together Grant recipients include:
- Brookside Residents Association, Inc. (Plainville, MA) – $2,000 for new mailboxes
- Contoocook River Cooperative (Deering, NH) – $2,000 for a central mailbox unit
- Country Court Community (Kalispell, MT) – $2,000 for a bus shelter
- Evans Cooperative, Inc. (Epping, NH) – $2,000 for a laptop and digital storage
- Evergreen Estates Homeowners Cooperative (Centralia, WA) – $1,650 for a backup sewage pump
- Fox Hill Cooperative (Franconia, NH) – $1,984 for an adaptive community garden
- Hidden Village (Olympia, WA) – $2,000 for secure mailboxes
- Samish Park Homeowners Cooperative (Bellingham, WA) – $2,000 for invasive plant removal
- Sleeping Giant Community (Livingston, MT) – $2,000 for rebranding signage
- The Woods Cooperative Association (Little River, CA) – $2,000 for a bear-proof trash receptacle
- West Wood Village Resident Association, Inc. (Plymouth, MA) – $2,000 for roof repairs
For more information about the ROC Association and the Better Together Grant program, please visit
ROC USA.
