February 11, 2021 Press Releases

Community Foundation Awards $1.3 Million in New Grants for Eviction Prevention, Mental Health, Food Insecurity Programs

Grants target organizations supporting individuals and families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

Springfield—The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) has awarded $1.3 million in new grants to support local programs providing eviction prevention, mental health and food insecurity assistance to those impacted by COVID-19. The grants are from the COVID-19 Response Fund, which to date has awarded $10.2 million to 182 organizations in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.

More than 700 donors, including individuals, foundations, businesses and $4.4 million from the statewide Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, have contributed to CFWM’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Donors continue to give to the fund every week. Gifts can be made online at: communityfoundation.org/donate-now.

To date, CFWM has leveraged almost $12 million in gifts for COVID grantmaking to nonprofits in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.

The church Tabernáculo de Gozo (TDG), located on Sumner Avenue in Springfield, was one of the community organizations that received a grant in the latest round. According to Pastor Henry Garcia, “These monies assisted about 90 people in Springfield and the surrounding community. TDG helped individuals with big utility bills that were behind such as electricity bills, gas bills and rents in arrears. We also assisted with COVID-19 protection needs such as hand sanitizer, sanitizer wipes and face tissue. The Tabernáculo de Gozo church is very grateful to our sister Maria Arrias for providing the contact and to the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.”

According to Katie Allan Zobel, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, “Our grant making continues to evolve to meet the demands placed on the social infrastructure of our region as a result of the pandemic. More people are struggling to stay in their homes as a result of the devastating consequences of COVID-19 on our economy. Food insecurity continues to plague the region and there is a marked increase in individuals and families needing behavioral health care services. This latest round is aimed at these critical areas of need.”

Organizations who received the new round of COVID-19 Response Fund grants include:

Friends Food Pantry (Springfield); Amherst Survival Center; Behavioral Health Network (Springfield); Bethany Assembly of God Food Pantry (Agawam); Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke; Caring Health Center (Springfield); Catholic Charities Agency of the Diocese of Springfield;

Center for Human Development (Springfield); Clinical & Support Options (Northampton); Community Action Pioneer Valley (Greenfield); Community Health Center of Franklin County (Greenfield); Community Legal Aid; Community Survival Center (Springfield); Easthampton Community Center;

Franklin Area Survival Center (Turners Falls); Franklin County Community Meals Program (Greenfield); Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority (Turners Falls); Gandara Mental Health Center (West Springfield); Good Neighbors Food Pantry (Charlemont); Greater Springfield Senior Services; Greater Westfield Emergency Food Pantry; Health Law Advocates; Helping Hands Cupboard Food Pantry (Belchertown);

Highland-Valley Elder Services (Northampton); Hilltown Churches Food Pantry (Ashfield); Hilltown Community Health Centers (Worthington); Holyoke Health Center; Iglesia Tabernacolo de Gozo (Springfield); Jubilee Cupboard Food Pantry (Ware); LifePath (Greenfield); Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry (Chicopee); MANNA Soup Kitchen (Northampton);

Massachusetts Military Support Foundation (Agawam); Mental Health Association (Springfield); NAMI Western Massachusetts (Agawam); Neighbors Helping Neighbors (South Hadley); Oasis Food Pantry (Springfield); Open Pantry Community Services (Springfield); Palmer Food Share; Rachel’s Table (Springfield); Reaping the Harvest (Springfield); River Valley Counseling (Holyoke); Root Studio (Turners Falls); Safe Passage (Northampton); Seeds of Solidarity Education Center (Orange); ServiceNet (Northampton); Spring of Hope Church of God in Christ Food Pantry (Springfield);

Springield No One Leaves; Springfield Partners for Community Action; Stone Soup Café (Greenfield); The Salvation Army – Springfield Corps; The Salvation Army – Greenfield Corps; The Salvation Army – Holyoke Corps; Valley Opportunity Council (Chicopee); Victory Temple Church of God in Christ (West Springfield); Wales Community Pantry; Way Finders (Springfield); Wendell Good Neighbors; Western Massachusetts Training Consortium (Holyoke); WestMass Elder Care (Holyoke); Womanshelter Companeros (Holyoke); YWCA of Western Massachusetts (Springfield).

The Community Foundation’s response to the COVID-19 crisis has been multifaceted. In March 2020, CFWM began grantmaking to respond to the pandemic, providing emergency grants to support nonprofits serving those most vulnerable to the crisis. In October 2020, CFWM awarded $2 million in Stabilization Grants to 70 nonprofits that had been negatively impacted by the pandemic financially. The Foundation has also provided non-monetary support through trainings for nonprofits. In response to the deep impact on local artists, CFWM’s Valley Creates program has provided training and capital grants to artists.

In February, CFWM expects to award grants to organizations directly supporting immigrant populations impacted by COVID-19.

CFWM also re-launched Valley Gives in 2020, the “one-stop-giving” online platform, to connect donors with local nonprofits struggling to provide vital community programs and services—particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. Formerly a single giving day event, Valley Gives will remain “open” for 2021 and will give nonprofits a needed fundraising boost.

Founded in 1991, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts seeks to enrich the quality of life for the people of our region. With assets totaling $163 million, CFWM serves the three counties bordering the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts (Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties) by serving as a resource, catalyst and coordinator for charitable activities. To learn more, visit communityfoundation.org.