We now have a new way for you to map crime around you. Just click here and view our new interactive crime mapping tool for Save it in your favorites to view crime anytime as it's updated daily. On the page is a Quickfind tool that allows you to put your address in and subscribe to crime trends, alerts and block watch reports for your police beat. Forward this email to your friends and family!
External Agency Fund (EAF) grants are a critical initiative by Louisville Metro Government to support local organizations that deliver essential services and programs across our community. By providing financial resources to nonprofit agencies, the EAF grants help foster a safer, stronger, more vibrant, and equitable Louisville. The grants are specifically designed to address critical needs, including social services, youth development, and arts and culture. Each of the three EAF grant programs align with the city’s strategic priorities and reflect our commitment to improving the quality of life for all residents:
Community Services Funding: Supports agencies providing homelessness prevention and mitigation as well as essential services that enhance the quality of life for residents, particularly those addressing basic needs and promoting self-sufficiency. For more information, visit the Community Services Grant Page.
Arts + Creative Industries Funding: Funds organizations that contribute to the cultural vitality of Louisville through arts, heritage, and creative industry initiatives. For more information, visit the Arts + Creative Industries Grant Page.
Youth Engagement Services (YES!) Funding: Aims to assist programs dedicated to violence reduction and the development and well-being of the city’s youth, fostering positive growth and opportunities. For more information, visit the YES! Grant Page.
The EAF programs operate through competitive grant processes, ensuring that public funds are allocated responsibly to organizations that demonstrate the ability to make a meaningful impact. Through these grants, Louisville Metro Government seeks to strengthen partnerships with community organizations and invest in programs that promote stability, growth, and opportunity. Whether addressing urgent needs like housing and violence prevention or supporting youth empowerment and cultural enrichment, EAF funding enables community organizations to expand their reach and deepen their impact.
Fiscal Year 2026 Grants
Louisville Metro Government is excited to announce the start of our Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) EAF cycle for grants covering the period of July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026.
The deadline for application submission for FY26 is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 3, 2025.
Meet Councilwoman Mulvey-Woolridge at the Bon Air Library on March 8th and the newly added location at the Fairdale Library on March the 22nd.
Café LOUIE is designed to be an informal gathering of civic minded individuals interested in meeting with their elected officials to discuss local issues. When you arrive, grab a cup of Heine Brothers coffee and fill out a notecard with your specific question(s). After a brief introduction of elected officials and special guests, a trained facilitator will direct your questions to officials for comment and discussion.
All Café LOUIE meetings begin at 9am. Stick around after the event for additional programming available at some branch locations, register to vote with the League of Women Voters, sign up to be a Friend of the Library, or just visit your local branch and check out a good book!
All events are 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on a Saturday. Please do not arrive early. Vehicles waiting cause traffic backups.
March 22: Shawnee Park, 4501 W Broadway
April 5: UofL Shelby Campus, 440 N Whittington Pkwy
May 17: Sun Valley Park/Ashby Lane Baptist, 10401 Lower River Rd/6617 Ashby Ln
June 14: Doss High School, 7601 St Andrews Church Rd
July 19: Fern Creek Elementary/High Schools, 8815 Ferndale Rd
August 23: Metro Fleet Services, 3515 Newburg Rd
September 27: Sun Valley Park/Ashby Lane Baptist, 10401 Lower River Rd/6617 Ashby Ln
October 18: Metro Fleet Services, 3515 Newburg Rd
November 15: UofL Shelby Campus, 440 N Whittington Pkwy
Pop-Up Drop-Off events are popular and well attended! Follow these tips for your best experience:
Tip #1: Do not arrive early! All Pop-Up Drop-Off events start at 10 a.m. A line of vehicles causes traffic backups and prevents our equipment from entering.
Tip #2: Only bring sensitive documents to be shredded! The line for shredding is usually the longest. We have seen catalogs, paperback books, etc. being shredded, which is unnecessary and takes up valuable time.
Tip #3: Make sure no items are mixed with your documents! We've seen hammers, scissors, and toys mixed in with documents. These contaminants can break the shredding truck's equipment!
Tip #4: Try giving away usable items first! We see a LOT of decent items being trashed or recycled at our events. Some residents even offer these items to workers - staff is not allowed to keep items. Please try to donate or give away BEFORE coming to our waste and recycling event.
Tip #5: Loads of construction materials, lumber, and loose debris are NOT allowed! Take these loads to the Waste Reduction Center at 636 Meriwether Ave instead. Pop-Up Drop-Off events are very popular - please follow the rules so we can keep the line moving.
Tip #6: Separate your loads into the various categories! More can be recycled and the line moves faster when you are ready to offload your items at each station.
Tip #7: Check-in staff will ask for your zip code and which types of items you brought. We track this information so we can keep improving our events. Most residents bring large items, electronics, and documents for shredding. Other categories include metal (or mostly metal) items, tires, yard waste, household recyclables, prescription medication, and shoes.
The Louisville Asset Building Coalition’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides trained, IRS-certified volunteers who offer free tax services at 15 sites across the city. VITA is available to individuals and families who earned less than $67,000 in 2024.
Since its launch in 2001, the VITA program has helped more than 154,000 Louisville tax filers. Last year, VITA volunteers processed more than 8,800 returns, adding more than $10 million to the local economy, including $3 million in Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to residents.
Partner organizations that help hardworking families file their tax returns, include the Metro Office for Resilience and Community Services (RCS). Metro RCS connects tax filers to an array of financial empowerment services through its Office of Financial Empowerment, which leads the Louisville Financial Empowerment Center and the Tax Time Connect initiative with Bank On Louisville.
Eligible Louisville residents can make an appointment or visit any of these VITA sites for in-person free tax filing:
Americana Community Center, 4801 Southside Dr.
Bates Memorial Baptist Church, 728 East Lampton St.
Edison Center, 701 W. Ormsby Ave., Ste 201
Family Scholar House U of L, 403 Reg Smith Circle
Family Scholar House Riverport, 3311 Cathe Dykstra Way
Goodwill East Broadway Opportunity Center - 909 E. Broadway
Goodwill South Louisville Opportunity Center - 6201 Preston Hwy.
Louisville Urban League, 1535 W. Broadway
Oldham County LaGrange Library, 308 Yager Avenue (LaGrange)
Portland Promise Center, 1831 Baird St.
Shively City Hall, 3920 Dixie Hwy.
Vincent de Paul Family Success Center, 1029 S Preston Hwy.
Sun Valley Community Center, 6505 Bethany Lane
United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 State St.
Wesley House Community Services, 5114 Preston Hwy.
In addition to these sites, VITA volunteers will be operating mobile locations around the city:
John Center, 700 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd. (open April 4, and April 11 – 1pm-3pm)
Facilities Management Services, 1500 Lytle St. (open Feb. 10, Feb. 24, and March 10 – 9am-noon)
Goodwill West Louisville Opportunity Center - 2820 W. Broadway (open every Friday Feb. 7 through March 7, 10am-2pm)
Family Scholar House, 1309 Catalpa St. (open March 15, 9am-5pm)
Residents can also choose to have their taxes prepared at MyFreeTaxes.com, which provides a free self-file program offered in partnership by United Way Worldwide and TaxSlayer.
AARP Tax-Aide also provides free tax prep services, with special attention to people age 60 and older. AARP Tax-Aide sites will begin operating at eight sites in early February. For more information, visit http://www.aarp-tax-aide-lou.org.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Most middle-aged and young adults have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or being a smoker or overweight. Having multiple risk factors increases your risk of heart disease. The good news is that there’s a lot we can do to prevent it.
Connecting with Others is Good for Your Heart
Research shows that people with close relationships at home, work, or in their community tend to be healthier and live longer. One reason, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is that we’re more successful at meeting our health goals when we work on them with others.
Feeling connected with others and having positive, close relationships benefit our overall health, including our blood pressure and weight. Having people in our lives who motivate and care for us helps, as do feelings of closeness and companionship.
Lifestyle Tips
Here are some facts, how-to tips, and resources to inspire you to join with others, even if you can’t be physically together, to improve your heart health. Follow these lifestyle tips to protect your heart.
Be more physically active.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Eat a nutritious diet.
Quit smoking.
Manage stress.
Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep.
Track your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar numbers.
You don’t have to make big changes all at once. Small steps will get you where you want to go.
Move More
Invite family, friends, colleagues, or members of your community to join you in your efforts to be more physically active:
Ask a colleague to walk “with you” regularly, put the date on both your calendars, and text or call to make sure you both get out for a walk.
Get a friend or family member to sign up for the same online exercise class, such as a dance class. Make it a regular date!
Grab your kids, put on music, and do jumping jacks, skip rope, or dance in your living room or yard.
How much is enough? Aim for at least 2½ hours of physical activity each week — that’s just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. In addition, do muscle-strengthening exercises 2 days a week. Can’t carve out a lot of time in your day? Try doing 10 minutes of physical activity at least three times a day. NHLBI’s Move More fact sheet has ideas to get and keep you moving.
Eat Heart-Healthy
We tend to eat like our friends and family, so ask others close to you to join in your effort to eat healthier. Follow NHLBI’s Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. Research shows that, compared to a typical American diet, it lowers high blood pressure and improves cholesterol levels. Find delicious recipes at NHLBI’s Heart-Healthy Eating webpage.
Quit Smoking
To help you quit, ask others for support or join an online support group. Research shows that people are much more likely to quit if their spouse, friend, or sibling does. Social support online can help you quit. All states have quit lines with trained counselors — call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). You’ll find many free resources to help you quit, such as apps, a motivational text service, and a chat line at BeTobaccoFree.hhs.gov and Smokefree.gov.
If you need extra motivation to quit, consider those around you: Breathing other people’s smoke, called secondhand smoke, is dangerous. Many adult nonsmokers die of stroke, heart disease, and lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.
Enroll Today! Contact them today to check your eligibility for the Emergency Wastewater Rate Assistance Program. Email MSDCAP@louisvillemsd.org or call 502-540-6635.
If you are interested in volunteering for one of Louisville Metro Government's Boards or Commissions, now is the time to start. By being a part of a board or commission, you will offer your time and your talents to improve the quality of life in our community.
There are approximately 100 boards and commissions with many areas of interest, including business and economic development, land planning, parks and recreation, public health and public safety.
We need individuals from District 24!!!! It is important to have representation from all of Louisville Metro. Please consider applying.
