POCATELLO — Pocatello's Senior Activity Center has been awarded $145,000 as part of the 2024 Lowe’s Hometowns program, a five-year, $100 million commitment to rebuild and revitalize community spaces nationwide. Since launching in 2022, the signature grant program has renovated 149 community centers, affordable housing facilities, and built and improved 54 community gardens, parks and playgrounds — among many other impactful projects.

As one of 100 community projects in 2024 that make up this year’s grant recipients, the Lowe’s Hometowns grant will benefit the Senior Activity Center’s restrooms. This $145,000 renovation will provide crucial updates to the bathrooms, including modernizing the facility to be ADA-compliant and increase safety. This project directly addresses the needs of the community’s aging population by making the center more accessible for all.

To kick off Lowe's Red Vest Day, the community can have refreshments 3 p.m. today at the Senior Activity Center, 427 N. 6th Ave. in Pocatello. Lowe's employees will begin demolishing the center's restrooms in order to update and modernize them.

This year’s Lowe’s Hometowns projects benefit 88 communities across 44 states and Washington, D.C., and will address needs specific to each community, from housing and community centers to outdoor spaces and facilities for first responders and veterans. Each project will receive a grant from Lowe’s to make physical improvements that help local organizations continue to make a meaningful impact in their communities. At the core of this commitment are Lowe’s Red Vest associates, who share a passion for giving back to their communities and provide support to every Lowe’s Hometowns project.

Diane Bilyeu, president of the Senior Activity Center board stated: “We would like to thank our executive director, Anita Valladolid, for her excellent grant writing skills and (the) city of Pocatello, (and) Councilman Rick Cheatum for supporting and recommending Lowe’s Hometowns Program to us. This enables us to bring a positive renovation to the center.”