A second round of grants under the Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund is now being distributed to nonprofit organizations in Charles County experiencing unusual financial strain due to the coronavirus pandemic. In making the announcement, the Charles County Charitable Trust said that a total of $120,050 is being allocated among 26 organizations that met the qualification requirements.
The first round, completed by May 4, used up $100,000 made available by the County Commissioners, who added another $100,000 on finding that the amount fell far short of the applications that came in. For the second round, the Trust was able to increase the total with $20,050, including a $5,000 grant from WesBanco and donations from local residents.
The largest grant was for $10,000, for only one nonprofit, and the smallest for $950, also for one nonprofit. The average amount was $4,617.
“Every way you look at it,” Vivian Mills commented, “this project is a winner for everyone involved. It means practical help for hard-working nonprofits caught in a financial bind meeting needs created by the Covid-19 crisis, and in turn it means practical help for residents of the community caught without essential resources.” Mills is the Trust’s executive director. She went on to thank the county government for recognizing the gravity of the situation and the Trust’s board of directors and small staff for donating many extra hours to assure prompt implementation of the two-part emergency relief program.
When asked whether another round of relief funding will prove needed, she replied that it remains to be seen. It will be important to hear from the nonprofit community, she said. Many nonprofits will face a challenge over the long haul figuring out how to return to normal levels of funding–let alone building up their charitable income–while having to adjust to new ways of working. At the same time, no one can be sure yet about a spike in Covid-19 cases later on in the year.
Given this uncertainty, the Trust encourages a community-wide response to its special online donations program, which can be found on its website: www.charlesnonprofits.org. Donations can be earmarked for Covid relief or entrusted to the Trust’s discretion. In either case, the proceeds will be used to benefit the work of the county’s nonprofit sector.
In order to qualify for an award under the Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund, nonprofits had to show IRS-conferred status as 501c3 charitable organizations and show that they provide services to Charles County residents. They also needed to describe how they are meeting community needs in connection with the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and the extent that it is affecting their financial and human resources.
Additional information is available from the Trust at info@charlesnonprofits.org, 301-934-3700, or www.charlesnonprofits. Its offices at 9375 Chesapeake Street in La Plata remain closed to the public in line with recommendations of the federal Center for Disease Control.
The grantee organizations are listed below.
Grant Recipients of COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund–Round 2
Awarded by the Board of Directors of the Charles County Charitable Trust
May 26, 2020
- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington
Grant Award: $8,000
Purpose: Food by SOMD Food bank to meet the increased number of children, families and seniors experiencing hunger in Charles County.
- Cerenity
Grant Award: $7,000
Purpose: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline caregivers of disabled individuals and computers for residential homes.
- Charles County Children’s Aid Society
Grant Award: $5,000
Purpose: Essential items for families in need of food, personal hygiene and baby items.
- Charles County HARC
Grant Award: $6,000
Purpose: PPE for direct care professionals for 12 group homes providing 24/7 care of disabled individuals.
- Charles County Literacy Council
Grant Award: $950
Purpose: Online training program for virtual tutoring of adult learners, PPE for in-person assessments and instructional materials.
- Charles Regional Medical Center Foundation
Grant Award: $6,900
Purpose: Recovery kits for Charles County residents who are receiving treatment for or are recovering from Covid-19 at home.
- Christmas in April Charles County dba Rebuilding Together
Grant Award: $5,000
Purpose: PPE kits for volunteers and contractors that will be completing work on residents’ homes, and attendance at home modification classes regarding Covid-19 regulations and guidelines.
- Community Crisis & Referral Center dba Center for Abused Persons
Grant Award: $4,000
Purpose: Transition to opening office — PPE and computers to allow for social distancing.
- Faith Temple Baptist Church of Charles County
Grant Award: $1,000
Purpose: Food and groceries to be distributed in the community.
- Generations
Grant Award: $3,000
Purpose: Support for scholarship program for high-need first year college or trade school students.
- Health Partners
Grant Award: $7,500
Purpose: PPE and air purification system for ensuring health and safety of medical and dental patients.
- KidsSTREAM
Grant Award: $3,500
Purpose: Ten Kindles and supplies for implementation of virtual online summer camp for 80 youth in Charles County.
- Lifestyles of Maryland Foundation
Grant Award: $5,000
Purpose: Crucial supplies and food, case management and wellness checks for the unsheltered homeless in Charles County.
- Mattawoman Creek Art Center
Grant Award: $1,000
Purpose: Preparations for opening facility to implement public safety precautions and for PPE for volunteers and visitors as needed.
- Our Place Waldorf
Grant Award: $5,000
Purpose: Emergency program providing take home dinners and take away bags while usual four-nights-a-week sit-down dinners are suspended.
- Port Tobacco Players
Grant Award: $5,000 Purpose: With the theater closed at least until March 2021 and the prospect of social distancing still in place by then, support the organization’s viability until able to return to a normal schedule.
- Sagepoint Senior Services Foundation
Grant Award: $5,000
Purpose: PPE for all personnel to protect vulnerable patients and residents in the La Plata facility.
- Salvation Army
Grant Award: $6,000
Purpose: Refrigerator and freezer to store increased supply of food, plus funds for clients in need of help with rent, mortgage and utilities.
- Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy
Grant Award: $5,000
Purpose: Remote access technology capacity to deliver virtual services to Charles County clients.
- Southern Maryland Center for Independent Living
Grant Award: $2,000
Purpose: Transportation, remote access technology and emergency supplies for Charles County residents with disabilities.
- Spring Dell Center
Grant Award: $10,000
Purpose: Preparations for opening facility — installation of permanent sanitation dispensers in all areas and vehicles, installation of touch-free water/soap/paper towels and sanitation devices throughout the building.
- The Arc of Southern Maryland
Grant Award: $4,500
Purpose: Laptop computers and monitors for residential homes, giving clients with disabilities remote access to virtual programs and services.
- The Catherine Foundation of Maryland
Grant Award: $4,700
Purpose: Necessary baby supplies for families in need in Charles County.
- The College of Southern Maryland Foundation
Grant Award: $2,500
Purpose: Relief funding for the CSM Hawks Student Emergency Fund for CSM’s most vulnerable students residing in Charles County.
- Tri-County Youth Services Bureau
Grant Award: $4,000
Purpose: Computers for expansion of telehealth for Charles County residents, and PPE and disinfectant supplies for reopening facility.
- United Way of Charles County
Grant Award: $2,500
Purpose: Drive-Up Pop Up to provide basic necessities such as food, clothing, pet food, personal hygiene items and cleaning supplies for residents in high need area of the county.