BOSTON
- Saturday, August 22, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston
Resiliency Fund Steering Committee today announced nearly $500,000 in new
Boston Resiliency Fund grants to 17 organizations and nonprofits. Since
launching in March to help Boston residents most affected by COVID-19, the
Boston Resiliency Fund has distributed over $25.7 million to 340 nonprofit
and local organizations and there is $7.6 million in funds remaining.
"The
Boston Resiliency Fund has been indispensable in allowing us to meet the
needs of our residents negatively impacted by COVID-19, and contain this
virus," said Mayor Walsh. "Many of the organizations that have
received support have pivoted during COVID to be a lifeline for the
families and seniors they know and serve. We remain dedicated to supporting
families, seniors, and anyone who continues to be vulnerable due to
COVID-19, its economic impact, and the longstanding impact of racial
inequality."
Since
Mayor Walsh's launch of the Boston Resiliency Fund in March, 54 percent of
grantee organizations are led by a person of color and 57 percent of
grantee organizations are led by a woman. 27 percent of grantees are
immigrant-serving organizations. A map and a list of every organization
that has received funding from the Boston Resiliency Fund can be found here.
"The
Boston Home, a residence and community resource for adults with multiple
sclerosis and other advanced neurological disorders, has been deeply
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the dedication of our staff
and the support of our tremendous partners, The Boston Home has been
COVID-19 free for 15 consecutive weeks," said Christine Reilly, Chief
Executive Officer of The Boston Home. "The Boston Resiliency Fund's
generous award will enable The Boston Home to enhance its services to meet
the needs of our 235 frontline healthcare staff, 93 residents, and
community program members. We are so grateful to Mayor Martin J. Walsh and
the City of Boston for this impactful grant."
"With
this support from the Boston Resiliency Fund, we'll be able to enhance our
critical medical advocacy services to more effectively support survivors of
sexual assault in local hospital emergency rooms, even in the face of the
restrictions that the pandemic has brought," said Gina Scaramella,
executive director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.
The
latest round of funding will help organizations that are working to
increase food access, support direct services for families, youth and older
adults, and fund local organizations directly providing supports to the
community. These organizations include:
African
Bridge Network
(Renewal): The African Bridge Network plan to continue to
support food security in the African and the immigrant community in Boston
by distribution on grocery gift cards.The organization have identified
additional partners, the Nigerian American Multi-Service Association and
Church of Pentecost Boston, to assist reach new sections of the African
community. They propose to serve additional 300 families with an average
household size of four people. They are also proposing to work with Project
Bread and other food assistance agencies to get qualified African grocery
gift recipients to apply for SNAP and other food resources for the next six
weeks. Lastly, they are proposing to work with the Metro Housing Boston to
get qualified grocery gift recipients to apply for rental assistance
through the Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance (ERMA) program for the
next six weeks.
Allston Brighton Community
Development Corporation (ABCDC): The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the
digital divide for low-income people as more activities shift to a virtual
format while not everyone has access to proper technology. ABCDC will
provide laptops and technology education to 15 families in their affordable
rental portfolio.
Boston
Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC): BARCC is pivoting its Medical Advocacy
Program during COVID to better meet the needs of its clients. Many Boston
hospitals and others call BARCC to provide critical support to rape victims
in their emergency rooms. BARCC will transition this pivotal service to a
sustainable and secure telemedicine model using secure software and tablets
for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners to connect victims with Medical
Advocates. BARCC responds to over 548 survivors in Boston emergency rooms
annually.
Codman Academy: Codman Academy will
support families that have been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.
They will optimally leverage their network of local food businesses, like
Fresh Food Generations, Commonwealth Table, local farms like Urban Farming
Institute, Daily Table to plan, prepare and deliver healthy fresh produce,
delicious, culturally diverse prepared meals and assortment of groceries to
feed our community families in need.
Elizabeth Stone House (Renewal): This
grant will support the needs of some of the most vulnerable infants and
children the Elizabeth Stone House serves in residence and in the
community. Of critical need are diapers/pull-ups, wipes and infant and
toddler formula and toddler foods.
Fenway Community Development Corporation:
The Fenway Community Development Corporation (FCDC) will support the most
vulnerable residents through weekly food distribution to approximately 150
food insecure Boston residents, in partnership with Fair Foods. Each
resident will receive fresh fruits and vegetables to help feed their
household, as well as resource flyers on how to access free assistance when
applying for unemployment, SNAP, MassHealth, or receive job skills, career
training, and job placement assistance from the FCDC.
Fresh Food Generation:
In partnership with The Food Project, FFG will support 125 additional East
Boston residents who are in need of support with food packages that include
fresh vegetables, fruits, dry goods and prepared meals.
Fundación de Milagros Marte (Renewal): Fundacion de Milagros
Marte will continue to help provide baby formula and diapers to families in
need. In addition, they will provide boxes of culturally competent meals
and groceries for the Latino community.
Garrett Pressley
Autism Resource Center: The grant will be used to purchase fourteen
tablets for use by families who have children on the autism spectrum. This
technology will be used to engage in virtual social skills classes,
exercise, cooking classes, family support groups, and one-on-one
consultation to address physical and emotional well being. The grant will
also provide food gift cards to purchase essential food items for family
meals.
Greater Love Community Cares
(Renewal): Greater Love Community Cares will provide support for
residents who are unemployed or under-employed with rent, utilities, and
other economic hardships. They will also hire drivers to deliver medicine
and other essential supplies to seniors and immunocompromised residents.
Love Your Menses: Love
Your Menses will continue purchasing menstrual hygiene and postpartum care
products for people in need. Since the beginning of the pandemic, they have
personally packaged and delivered over 300 menstrual and postpartum care
kits to girls and women in the Boston area. They will work with partners in
the community, such as The Guild, to help distribute the products.
Neighborhood Development Corp (NDC) of
Grove Hall: Grove Hall NDC will work with 20 non-profit organizations
and churches in the greater Grove Hall area who need support to clean their
spaces. They will contract with a local MBE, who is OSHA- and
CDC-certified, to thoroughly clean these community spaces and train
existing staff to do follow up cleaning on a regular basis.
Newmarket Community
Partners (Renewal): Newmarket Community Partners will continue to provide the
food deliveries, a continuation of their efforts to support last mile delivery
of food to Boston neighborhoods in partnership with the YMCA, the Food Bank
and others through trucking services.
South
Boston Association of Non-Profits (Renewal): Working
collaboratively, the South Boston Association of Non-profits will bring
together nine local non-profit member organizations to provide fresh food,
perishable and non-perishable food items, grocery store gift cards, and
prepared meals to the diverse and vulnerable populations of children,
families and seniors in South Boston. The organizations are collectively
providing weekly access to food pantries, grocery deliveries, cleaning
products, and prepared meals, as well as responding to immediate
needs as they arise.
Talented
And Gifted Association, Inc (TAG): TAG Latino Program will use this
grant to purchase gift cards for 75 families who are low income and have an
identified need for food support. The gift cards will support local, small
and culturally-sustaining businesses, based on families expressed
preferences and needs.
The Boston Home, Inc: The
Boston Home will update its technology so that front line staff can provide
uninterrupted care to the 93 residents and 27 community members who have
disabilities and require wheelchairs due to advanced neurological
disorders. Due to COVID-19, their residents are relying on technology
devices for telehealth appointments, virtual program engagement, and
maintaining connection to family.
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