Allentown, PA, April 27, 2020—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.