Thanks to your extraordinary generosity, we are announcing our second round of grants from the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona’s COVID-19 Response Funds. In the last two weeks, we have awarded $350,000 in COVID-19 Response Grants to support our vital nonprofit partners in Pima and Santa Cruz Counties.
As of April 20th, generous donors, fundholders, local foundations and corporations, and community partners have committed more than $1.5 million to CFSA’s COVID-19 Response Funds. COVID-19 Response Grants will continue to be released on a rolling basis as fundraising continues throughout the outbreak and recovery phases of COVID-19.
In week two, $130,000 in COVID-19 Response Grants were awarded to the eight organizations providing food boxes to families, home-delivered food for seniors, a clean and welcoming space for our community’s homeless youth, ongoing support for parents during this challenging time, and much more.
- Interfaith Community Services
- Intermountain Centers for Human Development
- JobPath, Inc.
- Our Family Services
- United Way of Santa Cruz County
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona
- Parent Aid Child Abuse Prevention Center, Inc.
- Salvation Army Tucson
In addition, a $100,000 recoverable grant was awarded to Tucson-based Business Development Finance Corporation (BDFC), a nonprofit SBA Certified Development Company, to help Minority and Women Owned Enterprises (MWBE) and nonprofit organizations access the Paycheck Protection Program.
“COVID relief funds are helping Interfaith Community Services (ICS) respond to the rapidly changing needs in our community,” said Tom McKinney, Chief Executive Officer. “The funds from CFSA are reaching people by providing food to those in a food line and delivering a food box or a frozen meal, allowing them to worry about one less thing and not have to go into a crowded grocery store. We are fortunate; people keep volunteering to give out or deliver food, and now with CFSA’s help they have food to give.”
At Our Family Services, a COVID-19 Response Grant will “help ensure the health and safety of the homeless youth at our Reunion House teen crisis shelter,” said Chief Executive Officer, Beth Morrison. “Keeping a group living arrangement properly sanitized during a pandemic is no small feat, and feeding and educating a house full of hungry teenagers who used to be at school all day requires a lot of additional adult attention. Funds from CFSA will go toward cleaning supplies and food costs, as well as additional staff to support our teens as they finish all their classes online. As we all navigate this crisis, we are fortunate to have such a quick response by CFSA and their donors, ensuring that critical community services continue without interruption.”
“As parents deal with homeschooling, working from home or navigating unemployment, social isolation, and constant restlessness, our families are facing more stressors than they have ever experienced,” shared Executive Director, Allan Stockellburg. “With the support of CFSA, Parent Aid Child Abuse Prevention Center can continue helping families manage their stress, develop positive routines and promote health and wellness for themselves and their community.”