Eight weeks ago, The Community Foundation of South Lake County activated its Disaster Relief Fund in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since that time, the Foundation has released more than $140,000 in grant funding to 14 local nonprofit organizations caring for those most affected by the pandemic. Kathy Smith, the Foundation’s director, said, “Our primary goal in jumping into action at the beginning of the pandemic was to streamline our grant process, process grant applications, and quickly release much-needed financial assistance into the hands of organizations focusing on local food insecurity, rental and utility assistance, and the elderly, one of our community’s most vulnerable populations.”
The Faith Neighborhood Center is one such grant recipient. At a recent food drop, the Faith Neighborhood Center saw over 350 families lined up to receive the basic need for food. Executive director Patricia Kry shared, “Each family got anywhere from 50 to 75 pounds of food – enough to make a difference. This pandemic is a huge thing that is going to change South Lake County and we want to do our part in helping.” Without funding from the Community Foundation of South Lake, our community would not receive this funding.
A collaboration with partner granting organizations, along with generous donors from our community, helped make this possible. The Foundation was fortunate to receive a generous $25,000 challenge grant from the Morgridge Family Foundation, which inspired an impactful grant of $8,100 from the Live Well Foundation. These gifts, combined with the generous support of donors in our community, resulted in immediate funding to organizations like Faith Neighborhood Center, South Lake Community Ministries and United Way during this unprecedented time of need.
Because of the seamless way in which the Foundation provided funding to our community, the Morgridge Family Foundation chose to partner with us again; this time, providing an additional $73,500, which was immediately disbursed into our community. At a time when donations have gone down, we have stepped in to help fill the gap for nonprofits in Lake County. We continue to reevaluate the situation and how we can best assist with the needs. We understand that the impacts of this virus will continue to create needs in our community for many months to come.
The Community Foundation of South Lake County is a grantor who has supported our community for twenty-five years, and our commitment to connecting, providing flexibility, communication, and honoring donor intent will continue during, and beyond, the Covid-19 crisis.
