With the support of nonprofit leaders in Cattaraugus County, the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund recently made possible 21 grants to organizations in Cattaraugus County, together totaling $25,000 to support those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund was created by the philanthropic community to support nonprofits addressing immediate needs in response to the COVID-19 crisis in the eight counties of Western New York.
Recognizing that a lot of the burden of the response is falling on community-based and grassroots organizations, the fund created a microgrant program to rapidly deploy resources to small urban and rural organizations that provide hands-on assistance to community members. Intermediary organizations in each county that are recognized as trusted voices and partners identified the microgrant recipients for awards that typically range from $500 - $2,500.
The WNY Fund’s microgrant program issued $25,000 in funds to the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation so that the Foundation could act as the fiscal agent to, in collaboration with a number of nonprofit leaders in Cattaraugus County, make microgrants to nonprofits helping to support those impacted economically by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Representatives from the Cattaraugus County Department of Health, Cattaraugus Community Action, Healthy Community Alliance, United Way of Cattaraugus County and Dr. Lyle F. Renodin Foundation together worked to identify nonprofits working to provide for the basic needs of those impacted by the outbreak of the virus.
Recipients of the microgrants include:
- Cattaraugus County Department of Aging/Meals on Wheels - $3,000 for purchasing food, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and hygiene supplies
- Cattaraugus Community Action - $500 for mental health programming, including Trac phones and minutes for virtual case management
- Cattaraugus Community Action Food Pantry - $3,000 for food purchases
- Delevan Food Pantry - $1,000 for food purchases
- Directions in Independent Living - $3,000 for purchase of technology to communicate with clients virtually
- Gowanda Food Pantry c/o Love INC of Gowanda - $1,000 for food purchases
- Great Valley Food Pantry (St. Paul's Ellicottville Lutheran Church) - $1,000 for food purchases
- Cattaraugus Community Action Kinley Hill Shelter - $500 to provide clothing for shelter residents
- Limestone Food Pantry c/o Limestone Pentecostal Church - $500 for food purchases
- Love INC Gowanda - $500 for Utilities/rent assistance, transportation and food
- Love INC of Springville - $500 for Utilities/rent assistance, transportation and food for residents of northern Cattaraugus County
- Master's Plan Café (Dayton Food Pantry) - $1,000 for food rent/utilities assistance, PPE and cleaning supplies
- Olean Food Pantry - $3,000 for food purchases
- Portville Community Food Pantry - $500 for food purchases
- Saving Grace Outreach (Cattaraugus Food Pantry) - $1,000 for food and hygiene products
- Seneca Nation Food Pantry - $1,000 for food purchases
- South Dayton Food Pantry - $500 for food purchases
- Pet Food Pantry c/o St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church - $2,000 for pet food and pet supplies
- St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store - $500 for food and utility assistance
- St. Bonaventure University Warming House - $500 for food and hygiene supplies
- United Church of Ellicottville food pantry - $500 for food purchases
The WNY Fund also made possible a round of grants totaling just short of $130,000 to four Cattaraugus County nonprofits in April. A second round of microgrants will be announced later in July.
The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is the area’s supportive, responsive and trusted community foundation. Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email [email protected], or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).
