Last month, the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund issued grants totaling $4.5 million to 74 “essential” nonprofits. The next round of funding – $1 million – has now been designated for an additional 47 organizations.
This latest round of funding brings the total allocated amount to $6.6 million, spread among 156 nonprofit organizations. The effort, coordinated by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, The John R. Oishei Foundation, and the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, was established to support financially at-risk organizations during COVID-19. The funding ensures that the Western NY non-profit community will be able to address issues pertaining to food, housing, healthcare, childcare, mental health, transportation, and other emergency services.
“The sudden arrival of the COVID-19 crisis necessitated an immediate response to meet the significant need in the community with everyone working together on solutions. We are grateful that so many foundations, corporations, community leaders and individuals continue to generously contribute time and resources to support more than 156 organizations to date working on the frontlines at a time of great need. ” said Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, President/CEO of Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.
Robert D. Gioia, President of The John R. Oishei Foundation added, “We are just at the beginning of this crisis and it will take a sustained, collaborative effort to continue to assess critical needs and find new, creative solutions to rebuild our community.”
To date, the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund has raised approximately $7 million from 60 local foundations and private sector companies, more than 40 community leaders, and approximately 1,900 individuals.
“It’s clear that COVID-19 will have a long-term, serious impact on the people and communities of Western New York,” said Nora OBrien-Suric, PhD, president of the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York. “We remain committed to supporting nonprofit organizations in our region as they work tirelessly to meet the evolving needs of the community.”
“We are facing unprecedented need and are only just beginning to grapple with the effects caused by COVID-19,” said Michael Weiner, president & CEO United Way of Buffalo & Erie County. “Extraordinary times call for an extraordinary response and we will continue to support our community and the nonprofits on the ground throughout this unprecedented crisis.”
The following nonprofit organizations received a grant from the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund in May:
- Alianza Agricola
- ALS Association Upstate New York Chapter
- Alternative Care Services of WNY
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association
- Amherst Meals on Wheels
- Arc of Genesee Orleans
- Autism Services
- Back To Basics Outreach Ministries
- Buffalo Mutual Aid Network (Coalition for Economic Justice)
- Burmese Community Services
- Cattaraugus Rehabilitation Center DBA Intandem
- Center for Elder Law & Justice
- Center for Self Advocacy
- Compass House
- Compeer Buffalo
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County
- Envision Wellness WNY
- Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project
- Erie Niagara Area Health Education Center
- Gerard Place
- Golden Age Club
- Grassroots Gardens of Western New York
- Great Valley Food Pantry (St. Paul’s Lutheran Church)
- Harmonia Collaborative Care
- Hospice Foundation
- Housing Options Made Easy Inc
- Imagine Community Gardens
- KidsPeace
- Love In the Name of Christ, Springville
- Madonna of the Streets (St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy)
- Mental Health Advocates of Western New York
- Neighborhood Legal Services
- New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
- Open Buffalo
- Project Stork
- Providence Farm Collective (Somali Bantu Community Organization of WNY)
- RAHAMA – Resources and Help Against Marital Abuse
- Southern Tier Environments for Living
- The Osborne Association
- The Teacher’s Desk
- Universal Primary Care
- VOICE Buffalo
- Western New York Law Center
- Western New York Mobile Overdose Prevention Services
- Wyoming County Community Action
- YWCA Jamestown
- YWCA of Genesee County
To see a full list of contributors, or to join the effort, please visit www.WNYResponds.org.