Hendersonville, N.C., May 21, 2020 – Grants from United Way and Community Foundation’s Henderson County COVID-19 Response Fund have been supporting essential services for economically vulnerable populations during these challenging times. A weekly drive-through of free diapers and formula pick-up, mental health services for local children and youth, rent and utility assistance and weekly food deliveries to homebound seniors are just a few of the important services being funded from the COVID-19 Response Fund.
Hendersonville Spanish SDA Church, a recent grant recipient, shared how they were able to help a single mother who was unsure how she would feed her young daughter and pay her rent after she had been laid off from work and hospitalized due to contracting the virus. A portion of the grant the Church received helped pay their rent and deliver two boxes of food to the family. As her daughter peered through the window watching the food arrive, the mother stated, “Even though I am still concerned about what’s going to happen in a month or so, for the moment I am relieved and can concentrate on getting better.” United Way and Community Foundation encourage individuals who need information about COVID-19 or assistance finding food, paying housing bills, accessing childcare, or other essential services to dial 211, a local resource and referral line, or visit www.nc211.org.
In addition to Hendersonville Spanish SDA Church, 33 other organizations have received nearly $274,000 in grants from the Henderson County COVID-19 Response Fund. The Fund was established on March 20th to support community-based organizations working at the frontlines of the crisis. Thanks to many generous donors, the Henderson County COVID-19 Response Fund has served countless neighbors in need that have been impacted by COVID-19. The most recent round of grants totaled $45,416 and were distributed to the following organizations:
- $5,000 to Anchor Baptist Church & Ministries for food for a drive-through food box distribution.
- $6,000 to Boys and Girls Club of Henderson County for cleaning services to allow for safe, limited capacity reopening to Club members.
- $4,166 to Henderson County Rescue Squad for behavioral health support for members facing stress from treating/transporting patients with COVID-19.
- $10,000 to Interfaith Assistance Ministry for rent assistance, utility assistance, and personal hygiene items.
- $6,500 to Only Hope WNC, Inc. for food for a drive-through food box distribution.
- $4,000 to Open Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center for diapers, wipes and formula.
- $3,750 to Steps to Hope, Inc. for shelter for Henderson County domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.
- $6,000 to Vocational Solutions of Henderson County for personal protective equipment (PPE) and laptop computers to enable remote programming for adults with disabilities.
An advisory committee of representatives from local government and community institutions who are working directly with those impacted is continuing to meet to allocate funds based on growing community needs. Advisory committee member The Reverend Doctor Joel G. Hafer recently noted, “The generosity and kindness of the people of Henderson County have made such a tremendous difference in the lives of countless numbers of our fellow citizens who are in great need due to the Coronavirus.”