Foundation for MetroWest grants $1.25M in emergency funds to local nonprofits
This story originally appeared in MetroWest Daily News on May 12, 2020
NATICK — The Foundation for MetroWest recently announced that it has granted over $1.25 million in emergency funds to community organizations since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
This funding has been channeled to nonprofits providing crucial assistance to the region’s residents. The majority of these grants were distributed from the MetroWest Emergency Relief Fund, the Feed Framingham COVID-19 Fund and the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, all recently created to meet the growing need for urgent resources and services.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all of us in ways few could have imagined or anticipated just months ago,” said Judy Salerno, executive director of the Foundation for MetroWest. “For our neighbors who were already struggling before the virus struck, school closures and business shutdowns have been especially damaging. Our goal is to ensure MetroWest organizations have the necessary resources to soften the pandemic’s impact on our community and uphold the quality of life for which our region is known.“
The foundation has directed the majority of its emergency funding to food assistance, childcare and senior services. Even before the pandemic began, Impact MetroWest, the foundation’s data-driven community indicator project, revealed facts about the region that have historically gone unnoticed. As the pandemic evolves, the foundation expects MetroWest’s needs to evolve and increase drastically.
“Countless MetroWest nonprofits are rising to the challenge of this unprecedented public health emergency, as the need for urgent support continues to grow,” said Caroline Murphy, the foundation’s director of programs. “We have partnered with many of these organizations for 25 years, and our close collaboration, centered on improving our region’s quality of life, has never been more indispensable.“
Initial grantees include Advocates Inc., Brazilian American Center (BRACE), Daniel’s Table, Food Link Inc., Gaining Ground, HOPEworldwide, Framingham Food Pantry, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Lovin’ Spoonfuls, Latino Health Insurance Program, Natick Service Council, Project Just Because and Wayside Youth and Family Support Network.
To date, the foundation has raised nearly $1 million through the emergency funds. Major donors include the Barr Foundation, Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation, the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, TripAdvisor Foundation, Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund, many donor-advised funds, friends of the foundation for MetroWest and generous community members.
The foundation will continue to raise and distribute emergency funds throughout this crisis on a rolling basis.
For information on the foundation and its emergency relief efforts, visit https://bit.ly/3fHEFHJ.
