May 1, 2020 Press Releases

Response Fund Grants $480,000 in New Round Thanks to Support from MA COVID-19 Relief Fund

May 1, 2020—A new round of grants totaling $480,000, targeting nonprofits that are providing frontline responses to those needing shelter, food resources, serving survivors of domestic abuse and those needing personal protective equipment (PPE) has been announced by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund provided $480,000 to Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts to support the Foundation’s response to the pandemic crisis in our region. The fund was announced in early April by Governor Charlie Baker and First Lady Lauren Baker, and was conceived by Lauren Baker and the One8 Foundation as a way to respond to the crisis statewide, focused on providing supports to vulnerable populations and essential workers.

The funding is being used by the Community Foundation for its fifth round of grantmaking, this time targeting 26 Western Massachusetts nonprofits that are doing work in providing meals and food, assistance to survivors of domestic abuse, emergency shelter.

Nonprofits receiving the new grants totaling the $480,000 are:

• Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke (meals and food)
• Caring Health Center, Springfield (basic needs and medical supplies)
• Center for New Americans, Northampton (basic needs assistance, utility and housing stability)
• Clinical & Support Options for the Friends of the Homeless, Springfield (emergency shelter)
• Community Action, Greenfield (diapers and basic needs)
• Community Health Center of Franklin County, Greenfield (COVID testing)
• Enlace de Familias, Holyoke (food, personal care, basic needs)
• Gandara Mental Health Center, West Springfield (basic needs, PPE, transportation, housing stability)
• Greater Springfield Senior Services, Springfield (meals and food)
• Grow Food Northampton (food distribution)
• Highland-Valley Elder Services, Florence (PPE)
• Hilltown Community Health Centers, Worthington (basic needs, medical supplies)
• Holyoke Health Center (medical services)
• LifePath, Greenfield (meals and food)
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services, Springfield (meals and food)
• New England Learning Center for Women in Transition, Greenfield (assistance to survivors of domestic violence)
• New North Citizens Council, Springfield (basic needs, utility, housing stability)
• Northampton Survival Center (food distribution)
• Providence Ministries for the Needy, Holyoke (meals and food)
• Safe Passage, Northampton (assistance to victims and survivors of domestic violence)
• ServiceNet, Northampton (emergency shelter)
• Survival Centers, Amherst Survival Center (meals and food)
• WestMass ElderCare, Holyoke (meals and food)
• Womanshelter Companeras, Holyoke (domestic violence intervention, sheltering)
• YWCA of Western Massachusetts, Springfield (personal protective equipment for residents and staff)

With this newest round of grants, the COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley has invested $1.8 million in grants to nonprofits in Western Massachusetts that are on the frontlines of serving vulnerable populations affected by the crisis.

The Response Fund was established to provide emergency grants to community nonprofit organizations serving the immediate needs of the most vulnerable populations affected by the pandemic in Western Massachusetts.

Since its inception, the Response Fund has raised $4.2 million from 25 businesses and foundations, nearly 400 individuals and families and the statewide Relief Fund.

To eliminate duplication and to more efficiently meet current and emerging needs as a result of the pandemic, the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund is working with regional community foundations. This will ensure that an array of Massachusetts communities can benefit from this much-needed pool of resources. Donations to the MA COVID-19 Relief Fund consist of grants from foundations and businesses, as well as individual donors Learn more at MACovid19ReliefFund.org.

According to Katie Allan Zobel, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, “This infusion of resources from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund allows us to address emerging needs in the areas of food, shelter and to assist those serving the survivors of domestic violence in our region. We are deeply grateful to these nonprofits, their staff and volunteers, that are providing essential care and resources to our community. And we thank the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund and its leaders and donors for their generosity and recognition of the essential role that community foundations throughout the state can play in distributing these funds effectively and efficiently.”

The Community Foundation welcomes additional donations to the COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley. 100% of donations go to community needs. Gifts can be made online at: www.communityfoundation.org/covid19.

The Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund supports those across the state most impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis, focusing on essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations including the homeless, immigrant populations, people with disabilities and those facing food insecurity. The Fund works in concert with regional community foundations and non-profit leaders who partner with local leaders to understand the response and relief landscape, strategically filling in where gaps are pronounced. For more information, visit MACovid19ReliefFund.org