Meals on Wheels delivered close to 100,000 meals in 2021 – the most ever in their 48-year history.
When our community came together in 2020 to create the Community Emergency Response Fund, one of our priorities was getting grants out quickly while making sure that enough funds remained to respond to ongoing problems resulting from the pandemic.
As the crisis continued into a second year, it became clear that people still needed help. Even with the job market warming back up, many residents had accrued large debts due to loss of income. Others could not fully reenter the workforce without reliable childcare or only remote school options for their children.
As your community foundation, we are committed to working with our partners to respond to these issues – moving forward together. With over $80,000 in support from the Community Emergency Response Fund in 2021, local nonprofits kept the safety net intact for our neighbors in need. House of Mercy and Grove Christian Outreach held vaccine clinics to make sure vulnerable populations would not be left out. The Arc of Greater Williamsburg and Williamsburg Faith in Action made sure that isolated seniors received food deliveries. Salvation Army and others helped families regain stability by providing assistance with utility bills, or moving folks into more permanent housing. Meals on Wheels anticipated delivering up to 100,000 meals in 2021 – the most ever in their 48-year history.
| Community Emergency Response Fund (2020-2022) |
|---|
| $257,427 Donated |
| 214 Donors |
| $254,753 Awarded in Grants |
| $16,432 Leveraged from Other Sources |
| 53 Grants Awarded |
This would not have been possible without the incredible support from the 214 donors who contributed to the Community Emergency Response Fund over the past two years. The funds have almost entirely been distributed as of this printing. Thanks to your help, the foundation awarded nearly two times as many dollars in competitive grants to the community over the course of the pandemic, when compared with pre-pandemic grants. Although we are not actively seeking donations for covid-relief now, the Community Emergency Response Fund will remain open, so that we will be prepared the next time our community faces a natural disaster.
Updated December 2021