GURNEE -- United Way of Lake County recently announced that $410,000 has been awarded in the fifth round of Lake County COVID-19 Community Response Fund grants to nine local nonprofits and 211.
Recently, United Way of Lake County received a $400,000 grant from the State of Illinois specifically to address COVID-19 related food and shelter shortages in Lake County.
These funds, together with funds from United Way of Lake County, were awarded in collaboration with the Lake County Community Foundation to organizations with maximum capacity to distribute food and provide shelter to populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and in accordance with State guidelines and priority outcomes.
The fifth round of grant recipients:
* A Safe Place, to provide interim housing/emergency shelter with safe social distancing for victims of domestic violence and/or human trafficking and their families. The organization is serving nearly four times more people through its shelter program than just two months ago and calls to the hotline have increased 635%.
* Catholic Charities, to support its Emergency Assistance Program that provides short-term rental, mortgage and/or utility assistance for families suffering from COVID-19 related income loss, to keep families in their homes and prevent homelessness.
* Community Action Project of Lake County, to provide short-term rental assistance for families suffering from COVID-19 related income loss, and to support continuation of hot food delivery program for families experiencing homelessness or domestic abuse.
* Curt’s Café Highland Park, to provide increased access to emergency food and supplies needed to serve meals and/or groceries to low-income seniors sheltering in place, families suffering from COVID-19 related income loss who are unable to access food pantries, and/or low-income families quarantined with infected family member.
* Families Helping Families Chicagoland, in partnership with BellaRu Catering, to provide groceries and prepared meals for low-income underserved families in need directly affected by COVID-19, including families in Waukegan School District 60 and the CATCH initiative.
* Nicasa, to provide short-term rental and/or utility assistance for 30 days to families suffering from COVID-19 related income loss, and to provide emergency food and supplies through food banks and mobile food distributions to families. Additionally to support Stable Families Fund in North Chicago for food and medication for most vulnerable families.
* Northern Illinois Food Bank, to provide urgent access to refrigeration equipment for member food pantries in Lake County to assist with accepting, storing and distributing perishable food to neighbors in need.
* PADS Lake County, to provide emergency shelter to an increasing number of Lake County residents who are homeless or at risk of homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
* Roberti Community House, to provide emergency food, including prepared meals, meal kits, groceries, produce and supplies, to most vulnerable food insecure Lake County residents.
* 211, to support expanded role of 211 to serve as a screening agent for Lake County Community Action to Counter Hunger, a collaborative reaching out to meet the challenge of providing food to high-risk residents. 211 will provide improved access to services and streamline the application process for callers eligible for CATCH.
The Lake County COVID-19 Community Response Fund unites funds raised by philanthropies, corporations and individuals to support nonprofits on the front lines of the crisis addressing Lake County’s greatest needs.
Since the fund was launched on March 20, a total of$863,262 has been granted swiftly back into the Lake County community to 38 nonprofits so they can continue their critical work serving our most vulnerable neighbors.
For more information about the Lake County COVID-19 Community Response Fund, future funding opportunities or to donate, visit LIVEUNITEDlakecounty.org/covid19.