NOTE: Catholic Charities is proud to partner with United Way of Greater Nashville and many other area nonprofits to assist with the distribution of COVID-19 Response Fund dollars to our neighbors in need.
United Way Allocates Additional $1.17 Million Through COVID-19 Response Fund: More Donations are Needed to Help Neighbors in Need
April 20, 2020, NASHVILLE, Tenn.-United Way of Greater Nashville announced today that the COVID-19 Response Fund allocated $1.17 million, its third round of funding, to 44 local nonprofit organizations that are helping inpiduals and families impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
The Fund has raised just over $3.9 million, thanks to generous gifts from local foundations, corporations and community members. $2 million-more than half-has already been distributed. Donations are decreasing, and so much more is needed to meet the growing needs of the COVID-19 pandemic and to help those who are struggling. Funded agencies have wait lists of 4,000 people looking for help paying their rent, buying groceries and finding childcare so they can continue to work.
“One client that called on us was a single mother with two children. She was employed by a house-cleaning business which temporarily closed and came to us needing assistance with rent and utlities,” said Judy Orr, executive director at Catholic Charities of Tennessee, one of the Fund’s receiving agencies.
“Another client is a chef at an area restaurant, who is the sole provider for his three young children. He does not expect to be called back before mid-to-late May and he called on Catholic Charities to help pay his mortgage and utilities.”
There are thousands of stories just like these-in our community alone.
“Even seasoned case managers at Catholic Charities have found the avalanche of demand for financial assistance to be unbelievably catastrophic. Many people have never had to use social services before,” Orr said. “Yet, it is healing for the case managers and those in dire need to have the resources-powered by the community’s spirit of generosity-of Nashville’s COVID-19 Response Fund.”
“Families who come to Conexión Américas face a particularly difficult circumstance-some not qualifying for federal economic relief despite having paid taxes,” said Juliana Ospina Cano, executive director at Conexión Américas, another Fund recipient. “As many seek to stay afloat with lost jobs and no source of income, direct economic assistance from the generous contributions to the COVID-19 Response Fund is no doubt bringing peace of mind to families. Our ability to distribute cash assistance gives people the agency to make their own decisions. To date, we have over 900 inpiduals on our waitlist, the majority being head of households between the ages of 25 and 45 who worked full-tume and lost their jobs in March. Filing for unemployment, negotiating with landlords, going to the doctor, grocery store, home- schooling in English, it is all hard and overwhelming. I am proud of our organization, of knowing our support is not only alleviating a very significant need but connecting them to other resources in the city.”
Agencies that received the funding are providing basic essentials, childcare services, crisis support, domestic violence support, food security, healthcare, immigration services, mental health support, personal protective equipment, rent/mortgage assistance and utility assistance to those in need-but they can only serve their neighborhoods in these areas if they continue to receive the funding to do so.
“As long as we can continue to raise more funds, United Way will continue to serve the community and distribute funding to the agencies on the ground helping our neighbors in need,” says Brian Hassett, president and chief executive officer of United Way of Greater Nashville. “Now more than ever, we need those who have the ability to help others to step up and give whatever they can.”
To make a donation, visit nashvilleresponsefund.com or text NashvilleUnited to 41444.
As funds are distributed, United Way will publish the receiving agencies, along with the help they can provide and contact information, at nashvilleresponsefund.com. 100 percent of the Fund goes to nonprofits to help inpiduals impacted by COVID-19 and agencies that need organizational support.
Organizations that received the Fund’s third round of grants include:
1. AGAPE Nashville
2. Aphesis House
3. Bethlehem Centers of Nashville
4. Book’em
5. Branches Counseling Center
6. Catholic Charities of Tennessee
7. Community Care Fellowship
8. Community Housing Partnership of Williamson County
9. Conexión Américas
10. Gideon’s Army Grassroots Army for Children
11. Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee
12. Greater Faith Community Action Corporation
13. Healing Housing, Inc.
14. High Hopes Development Center
15. Inspiritu
16. Martha O’Bryan Center
17. Nashville General Hospital
18. Nashville General Hospital Foundation
19. Nashville Launch Pad
20. NeedLink Nashville
21. New Restoration Community Church
22. Open Table Nashville
23. PENCIL
24. Project Return
25. RooYop Foundation
26. Servant Group International
27. Sexual Assault Center
28. Shower The People
29. Sickle Cell Foundation of Tennessee
30. Tennessee Justice Center
31. The Branch of Nashville
32. The Bridge Ministry, Inc
33. The HELP Center
34. The Lijle Pantry that Could
35. The Next Door
36. The Path Project, Inc.
37. The Salvation Army-Nashville Area
38. The Well Outreach
39. TNKids Nutrition, Inc.
40. United Ministries Food Bank of Robertson County
41. Urban League
42. Walk Bike Nashville
43. Welcome Home Ministries
44. Youth Encouragement Services, Inc
Inpiduals and families looking for help can visit nashvilleresponsefund.com/inpiduals to find information on resources available and services provided by agencies that have received grants from the
Fund.
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About the COVID-19 Response Fund:
The COVID-19 Response Fund is housed at United Way of Greater Nashville, in partnership with Mayor John Cooper’s office and local corporate and philanthropic partners. The Fund provides flexible resources to organizations working with inpiduals and communities who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the economic consequences of the outbreak. The Fund is designed to complement the work of public health officials and expand local capacity to address all aspects of the outbreak as efficiently as possible. United Way administers grants in partnership with the Response Commijee and Fund partners. In order to move resources quickly and not further burden organizations on the frontlines of the pandemic, we are not hosting a formal applicatuon process at this time. Funds will be released on a rolling basis as fundraising continues throughout the outbreak and recovery phases of the crisis, making it possible to move resources quickly and adapt to evolving needs in subsequent funding phases. To learn more, visit nashvilleresponsefund.com.
About United Way of Greater Nashville
At United Way, we unite the community and mobilize resources so that every child, inpidual and family thrives. Together, we are working to create a community where every child receives a quality educa@on, no one lives in poverty or poor health, and the most basic needs of our families are met. We are uniquely positioned to the lead this fight by bringing inpiduals, businesses, nonprofits and government to the table to have the tough conversations, mobilize the resources and make the smart investments that will create lasting solutions for our region’s most pressing issues. For more information, visit unitedwaygreaternashville.org and follow us on social media @UWNashville.