EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WAND) - Multiple central Illinois counties will benefit from grants awarded by the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund.
Part of the latest round of grants ($350,000) went to 36 organizations with increased demands for services in Clark, Clay, Cumberland, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette and Marion counties. In total, the respond fund gave out more than $6.275 million to nonprofit organizations across Illinois in its third round of grants.
A press release from the Southeast Illinois Community Foundation said the organization expanded its grant-making approach and used a data-driven process to identify the counties hit hardest by COVID-19. A total of 57 counties were prioritized to have the greatest need for support after ICRF considered unemployment data, COVID-19 cases, percentage of vulnerable populations in the county and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index.
“This is an all hands on deck effort to help our most vulnerable fellow Illinoisans at this time of such great need,” said Penny Pritzker, chairman of PSP Partners. “We are so grateful to the thousands of individuals and organizations who have stepped up to provide critical services and support for people in every part of Illinois.”
The $350,000 will be distributed to the following groups:
- BCMW Community Services
- Big Brother Big Sisters Effingham County
- CASA of Effingham County
- Casey Ministerial Association
- Catholic Charities - Effingham County
- CEFS
- Centenary United Methodist Church
- Chrisman First Baptist Church
- City of Flora
- City of Martinsville
- Disabled American Veterans Chapter 76
- Effingham Hispanic Church of the Nazarene
- Effingham Public Library
- ERBA
- F.I.S.H
- First Presbyterian Church
- Guadalupe Project
- Heartland Human Services
- Hopes and Dreams, Inc.
- Human Resources Center of Edgar and Clark
- Iglesia Bautista Latina
- In His Hands
- Marshal Area Youth Network
- Martinsville Food Pantry
- Neoga - Backpack program
- Neoga Food Pantry
- Nourishing Greatness
- Salem Ministerial Alliance
- STAR
- Strong Beginnings Early Learning Center & Preschool
- The Greater Salem Area Foundation
- The REC Center
- Vandalia C.U.S.D. #203
- Veterans of Log Base Seitz
- Village of Westfield
- Westfield Food Pantry
“We have been extremely fortunate to have been awarded COVID 19 Response Funds," said Effingham County Problem Solving Court Officer Christine Winters in an explanation for how STAR will use funding. "We had numerous participants in the Problem Solving Court Program who could not have managed April and May’s rent, some who could not have paid certain utilities and many who needed assistance with minutes on their phones due to having to use their phones for appointments and Zoom meetings. It was an invaluable resource with which we were able to help many continue with their stability and sobriety. A sincere thank you to all involved!”
Since launching on March 26, the ICRF Fund raised over $30.5 million from nearly 2,800 donors. The fund was established by the United Way of Illinois and the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations, in collaboration with the Office of the Governor.
