COVID-19 Community Response Fund Issues More Than $320,000 in Emergency Grants to Local Nonprofits

Allentown, PA – The Greater Lehigh Valley COVID-19 Community Response Fund has issued more than $320,000 in emergency funding to 43 nonprofit agencies serving the residents of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties.
 
“Our local nonprofits have responded to this public health crisis in extraordinary ways. We’re witnessing new adaptations, innovations and collaborations to continue and even expand services,” said Jill Pereira, Vice President, Education and Impact, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley (UWGLV). “The work continues in earnest, but there is still much to do and a long journey ahead of us. The grants will provide direct and immediate support of ongoing efforts to help our neighbors disproportionately impacted by the effects of COVID-19.”
 
The one-time, operational grants range from $500  to $20,000 and aim to strengthen safety-net services throughout the tri-county area. The initial phase of funding includes:

• Services providing food access
• Services for unsheltered residents and those at risk of homelessness
• Supports for those who are economically vulnerable to mitigate the effects of reduced hours or lost jobs

The COVID-19 Community Response Fund includes pooled funds from partners including Air Products, The Dexter F. and Dorothy H. Baker Foundation, Capital Blue Cross, Carbon County Community Foundation, Crayola, The Donley Foundation, Dun & Bradstreet, Highmark, Just Born Quality Confections, Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, PPL Foundation, Talen Energy, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Wells Fargo, UWGLV Women United and individual donors. Award decisions were made by a Strategic Response Team made up of community leaders representing funding organizations, local government, grassroots community organizing groups, community health and other sectors.
 
Full list of grant recipients:
Benders Mennonite Food Bank
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
Care Net of Carbon County
Casa Guadalupe Center
Catholic Charities - Diocese of Allentown
Center for Vision Loss
Champion Center
Children’s Home of Easton
Cohesion Network
Easton Area Neighborhood Center
Family Connection of Easton, Inc.
Family Promise of Carbon County
Domestic Violence Service Center
Grace Community Church Panther Valley Food Pantry
Greater Valley YMCA
Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley
Housing Association & Development Corporation Allentown
Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living
Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley
New Bethany Ministries
Northeast Community Center
Northern Lehigh Food Bank
Pinebrook Family Answers
ProJeCt of Easton
Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley
Resurrected Community Development Corporation
Ripple Community Inc.
Safe Harbor Easton
Shepherd House
Slater Family Network Foundation, Inc.
St. Peter’s Community Resource Center
Summit Hill Heritage Center
The Lehigh Conference of Churches
The Salvation Army of the Lehigh Valley
Third Street Alliance, on behalf of Regional Homeless Advisory Board
Turn to Us
Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley
Valley Youth House
Via of the Lehigh Valley
Victory House of Lehigh Valley
Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley
West End Food Pantry
 
Two additional grants of $10,000 each were approved to support community mobilization and leadership efforts in the region.
 
More information about the Greater Lehigh Valley Community Response Fund is available at www.unitedwayglv.org/COVID-19.