New Haven, CT (April 30, 2021) – Tutoring, financial aid for creatives, food for families, and access to vaccinations along the Shoreline for the elderly and people with impaired mobility were among the critical services supported by the latest round of grants from the Greater New Haven COVID-19 Community Fund. The Fund distributed $381,000 to 23 organizations, bringing the total distributed by the fund since its inception to $4.4 million. The Fund was established in March 2020 by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven in partnership with United Way of Greater New Haven to respond to COVID-19 and its related impacts on the health and wellbeing of local residents.
The continuation of education services, from early childhood to grade school and beyond, was the work of several of the local organizations supported in the most recent round. The pandemic disrupted learning for thousands of students when schools went remote. In New Haven, one out of three students were chronically absent and 2,500 missed at least one day a week, according to a December 2020 report from the New Haven Board of Education.
The Boys and Girls Club Learning Hub, Higher Heights Virtual Academy and Junta for Progressive Action’s Neighborhood Place were among several programs with learning, tutoring and mentoring services for children and youth that were supported by the Fund.
A grant to the Arts Council of Greater New Haven supported the Greater New Haven Creative Sector Relief Fund, which distributes financial assistance to low-income individual creatives and small-budget arts institutions whose incomes vanished when venues closed during quarantine.
CT Hospice in Branford created accessible free vaccine clinics, distributing more than 1,000 vaccines to a primarily elderly population. It collaborated with the East Haven Health District to help increase vaccination rates among East Haven residents, and met people with mobility impairments in their cars.
Other grants to nonprofits supported the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for nonprofit staff and volunteers, food and other basic needs, assistance with rent and utility bills and access to vaccines.
“Nonprofit organizations across all sectors in Greater New Haven have stepped up in extraordinary ways to serve our residents throughout the pandemic. The work they are doing inspires us. We will come through this together as a stronger community,” says William W. Ginsberg, the President & CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.
"Nonprofit organizations continue to provide much-needed services in our community. I am so appreciative of their dedication and creativity as they work to help our community recover and rebuild," shared Jennifer Heath, President and CEO of United Way of Greater New Haven.
A complete list of Greater New Haven COVID-19 Community Fund grant recipients to date and ways to donate to the Fund are at www.cfgnh.org/covid19fund.
Grants Awarded April 13, 2021
- Abba's House Int'l Fellowship - $2,500: To support Personal Protective Equipment, food delivery, diapers, and healthy food/snacks for learning hub students.
- Arts Council of Greater New Haven- $25,000: To support the Greater New Haven Creative Sector Relief Fund which distributes financial assistance to low-income individual creatives and small-budget arts institutions most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Beulah Heights Social Integration Program - $15,000: To support rent and utility assistance as well as personal protective equipment for Social Integration Program participants and residents in Newhallville, Dixwell, and Fair Haven.
- Boys & Girls Club of New Haven - $40,000: To support the all-day Learning Hub and Summer Camp.
- Circle of Care for Families of Children with Cancer, Inc. - $10,000: To support the Lifeline Emergency Fund which provides financial assistance to families with a child undergoing cancer treatment.
- Comunidad Hispana de Wallingford, Inc. a/k/a Spanish Community of Wallingford (SCOW) - $25,000: To provide financial assistance to undocumented immigrants in Wallingford for essential needs including food, medication, rental, utilities or medical bills, protective equipment, toiletry items, diapers, school supplies, and cleaning products.
- Connecticut Hospice - $26,000: To support COVID-19 vaccine clinics in the shoreline.
- Creative ME - $5,000: To support the provision of breakfast, lunch, and snacks for preschool children.
- Faith Inspired Servants Helping Others Reach Services - $5,000: To support personal protective equipment and food provision.
- FaithActs for Education - $30,000: To support the purchase of grocery store gift cards for families experiencing food insecurity and/or provide cash assistance to churches for direct service relief to their members and neighborhoods
- Gaylord Hospital, Inc. - $10,000: To support mindfulness training, resilency and diversity, equity, and inclusiveness activities for staff.
- Guns Down Books Up, Inc. - $5,000: To support the distribution of food to New Haven residents in need.
- Higher Heights YEP, Inc. - $10,000: To support the Virtual Academy for tutoring and college advisement.
- Junta for Progressive Action - $10,000: To support The Neighborhood Place afterschool program.
- Liberty Community Services, Inc. - $20,000: To support food cards for homeless individuals, as well as cleaning and sanitizing costs for supporting housing units.
- LifeBridge Community Services, Inc. - $20,000: To support a vehicle to deliver food to elderly residents in New Haven.
- MT Zion SDA Church - $5,000: To support the provision of food for Hamden residents.
- Music Haven - $30,000: To support additional program space, staff, personal protective equipment, hygienic supplies, and a summer camp.
- New Haven HomeOwnership Center - $35,000: To support the Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program and the foreclosure prevention services.
- New Haven Inner City Enrichment(NICE) Center - $7,500: To support the food pantry.
- New Lifestyles Transitional Housing for Women, Inc. -$5,000: To support food and personal protective equipment for at-risk women in New Haven.
- Read to Grow, Inc. - $20,000: To support personal protective equipment for volunteers, subscriptions to virtual platforms, and the printing of additional copies of the children's book, "Hello Sometimes", which addresses the ways children are experiencing the pandemic.
- Urban Community Alliance - $20,000: To support the Parent Accelerated Educational Support program, financial assistance for basic needs items, and tutoring youth in partnership with Higher Heights
