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Comox Valley Community Foundation distributes $102,000 in emergency funds

Funds will help 13 local organizations assist with COVID-19 response
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The Comox Valley Community Foundation has created a special fund specifically for non-profits struggling to help families during the COVID-19 health crisis. Stock image

The Comox Valley Community Foundation announced Monday (April 20) that it will immediately distribute $102,000 in the form of grants to 13 organizations to assist with the community’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Launched on March 25, the CVCF’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants are intended to offer resources for the community where they are needed most, with a focus on access to food, shelter, supplies and care for our community’s most vulnerable.

RELATED: CVCF creates special fund for community support during COVID-19 crisis

“The CVCF has committed $145,000 of its own funds, and we have been the very fortunate recipients of an additional $47,000 in grant-in-aid from the Comox Valley Regional District, $8,000 from the Rotary Club of Courtenay, and over $20,000 in private donations thus far,” said Matt Beckett, president of the Comox Valley Community Foundation. “We have attempted to address immediate need with this first round of grants, but we also know that recovery from this crisis will be lengthy, thus we have held half of the funds we currently have available for additional grants in the months to come.”

Applications for funding from charities and non-profit organizations are still being accepted. The next deadline for applications is April 30, with the next round of grants expected to be released on May 13. The CVCF will continue to receive and consider applications for as long as it has funds remaining.

The recipients include:

Boys & Girls Club of Central Vancouver Island - $4,000 for virtual online support groups for youth

Comox Valley Child Development Association - $10,000 for Emergency Autism Support program – one-to-one programming for families needing support

Comox Valley Family Services - $11,000 for emergency support for vulnerable families (i.e. infant supplies, school supplies for low-income families)

Comox Valley Food Bank - $5,000 for bags of child-oriented food

Comox Valley Transition Society - $5,000 for the purchase of grocery store gift cards for mothers and children

Courtenay Elementary School - $6,000 for “Back Packs to Go” – backpacks refilled with paper-based school lessons & food

Cumberland Community Schools Society - $10,000 towards the Cumberland Food Share program, consisting of healthy food boxes and a food shed

Denman Community Education Society - $2,000 toward access to food, showers, washer/dryer and internet for local unsheltered population

Hornby Island Education Society - $3,000 for a sanitizer/dishwasher for Community Kitchen program

John Howard Society of North Island - $1,500 toward the purchase of food gift cards for youth

Living Hope Church/Coalition to End Homelessness - $22,000 toward housing & support for the unsheltered

LUSH Valley Food Action Society - $12,000 toward the “Good Food Box” delivery program

The Salvation Army Comox Valley Ministries - $10,500 toward food and essential supplies for hampers

To supplement the funds available, the Comox Valley Community Foundation has opened a COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund for donations from individuals and organizations. All donations made to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund will be granted in full to charities working on response efforts in our community. Donations may be made online at https://cvcfoundation.org/giving/make-a-donation/

Founded in 1996, the Comox Valley Community Foundation is an independent charity registered with Canada Revenue Agency, dedicated to enriching life in the Comox Valley forever. With the support of local families, businesses and organizations who have created endowed funds, the CVCF has awarded more than $3.2 million to over 170 local non-profits and 230 students.

For further information, or to learn more about how you can make an impact, please visit www.cvcfoundation.org, or call 250-338-8444.