High River Family and Community Support Services are handing out $60,000 worth of grants to community programs.

Board member Elena Kerns says this is good news.

However, they did have to turn down a large number of applications.

"It is very hard because when you do listen to the presenters it tears at your heart strings," said Kerns. "You have to go by the rules but it is a very difficult decission."

FCSS Manager of Community Services, Shelly Koot, says they would like to see their budget increase so they can help more groups.

"For the last number of years it has been at $60,000. We would love to see that amount go up but those dollars have to come from somewhere. This year we had just over $115,000 in request for funds."

Here are the groups that received grants:

$3,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters
$6,000 for Boys and Girls Club
$4,000 for Foothills Fetal Alcohol Society
$5,000 for Foothills Victims Services
$4,500 for Foothills Country Hospice
$10,000 for Foothills School Division (Family School Liaison Worker)
$7,500 for Foothills Special Needs Association for Parents and Siblings (SNAPS)
$1,000 for Junior Achievement
$6,500 for Literacy for Life Foundation
$7,500 for Rowan House: Branches Program
$5,000 for Wild Rose Community Community Connections

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