MONTGOMERY, NY (June 18, 2020) – Three months since the establishment of the Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund by the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan (CFOS), funding remains available for nonprofits aiding those impacted by the pandemic.
Since its inception, the fund has distributed 102 grants totaling $419,000 to address immediate and longer-term needs of residents in Orange and Sullivan counties hardest hit by COVID-19. The Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund distributes grants of up to $5 thousand each to established nonprofit organizations that provide front-line services to the counties’ most vulnerable populations – food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, protective personal equipment for healthcare workers, online access to education for students, diapers and formula for babies, and telehealth for the elderly and those with special needs.
“The impacts of the novel coronavirus are uncertain and continue to mount,” said Elizabeth Rowley, CFOS President and CEO. “The Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund continues to be a funding resource for those in need and nonprofits are encouraged to apply for grants.”
First Reformed Church in Walden is among the fund’s recent grant recipients. Traditionally, the program provides backpacks with snacks for distribution through the Valley Central School District to students facing food insecurity on the weekends. Since the pandemic, they have been providing bags of food to be delivered to the doorsteps of hungry students now at home.
“We are so grateful for the funding we received from the Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund,” said Susan Kennedy, Vice President and Treasurer of First Reformed Church. “The Backpack Snack Attack mission has provided over 54,000 meals since its inception. These funds have allowed us to provide approximately 800 weekend bags. We are currently providing 135 to 150 bags each week.”
Since its inception, the fund has generated overwhelming support from local individuals, corporations and foundations and raised nearly $530,000. Grant requests are coming in daily, and CFOS continues to look to the public for donations to meet escalating needs in both counties.
Nonprofit organizations providing response services to Orange and Sullivan residents during this pandemic are encouraged to apply for grants and donations at any level are currently being accepted. For more information, visit www.cfosny.org/covid-19-response-fund/.
Photos:
(From left to right) Delaine Charette and Barbara Gravel deliver food from First Reformed Church in Walden to hungry students in the Valley Central School District with grant support from the Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Fund.
About the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan (CFOS): Based in Montgomery, NY, the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan connects people who care with causes that matter. Established in 1999, the Foundation helps philanthropic individuals, businesses and organizations establish charitable funds that will award grants and scholarships, for good, forever. The Foundation has significantly increased the region’s charitable capital and has empowered donors to make a profound difference in the quality of life in our region. Since its inception, CFOS, with its donors and fund representatives, has awarded more than $15 million in grants and scholarships. The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan currently administers 322 active charitable funds that represent nearly $30 million in assets to support animal welfare, arts and culture, education, the environment, health and human services, recreation and youth. To learn more, visit cfosny.org.
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The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan enables charitable individuals and organizations to become meaningful donors by providing trusted support and expertise for their contributions to make a difference in our community, now and forever.
www.CFOSNY.org
