Central Kansas Community Foundation to distribute $25,000 in COVID-19 relief funding in Harvey County
Harvey County, KS – Eight charities in Harvey County will receive relief funding from Central Kansas Community Foundation (CKCF) today.
This round 1 funding, $25,207 in total, will support the following local efforts to counteract the effects of COVID-19, meeting some of the most urgent needs in our communities.
- Health Ministries, $2,556 for sterilization equipment
- New Hope Shelter, $6,895 for operations and supplies
- Food Pantry, Burrton, $1,000 for essential cleaning items, toiletries and operations
- Prairie View, $5,556 for mental health telemedicine
- New Jerusalem, $3,000 for essential sanitary items and operations
- Agape, $500 for food and cleaning resources
- EmberHope, $4,200 for family foster care support
- Trinity Heights Respite Care, $1,500 for operations and supplies
During this initial stage of response, the goal is to fund programs that meet many of our basic human needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, safe environments, access to food and services, and shelter and childcare.
Funding for these grants were made available in part through a gift from the Harvey County Commission to serve needs in Harvey County as well as the Kansas Health Foundation Health Fund – Newton and other private donations.
As local charities complete grant applications, the Foundation is identifying a funding gap between the need and available resources. The actual number is a moving target as charities continue to evaluate their needs. Foundation experts expect this resource gap to widen in the coming days.
“These initial grants meet several emerging needs in our communities,” said Angie Tatro, CKCF executive director. “We anticipate that the needs will increase far beyond our current capacity to support.”
Tatro went on to say that this situation is rare as it is impacting the masses. She expressed the donor base for the Foundation throughout their service region has been historically strong in response to community needs, and she is optimistic donations will increase to these Relief Funds.
“I have said it before, we are able to grant and support local needs only because of the generosity of donors. We are humbled by their support and strive to make a difference in our communities on behalf of them,” said Tatro.
The Foundation’s goal is to support COVID-19 relief efforts, region-wide, in the short term, during the mid-term evaluation stage, the long-term community recovery and ultimately resiliency phases.
“The charitable organizations we work closely with know how to serve their mission well,” Tatro said. “They really are the gauge for needs among our most vulnerable populations. The more we can empower them to do their jobs and give people a place to find services, the more secure our communities will be during and after COVID-19.”
The Central Kansas Community Relief Fund will continue to remain open for donations during and following the pandemic event. The Foundation is a safe and secure place for donations and the funds will be pooled and given to charities that serve those in greatest need of support.
“In our experience with disaster response, our communities will continue to recover for quite some time following the last case of coronavirus,” said Tatro.
Donors who wish to respond to community needs may visit www.centralkansascf.org to contribute to the fund. Donations may be designated to a particular community.
Charitable organizations and other tax-exempt entities can apply for funding through a simplified grant application, available on the CKCF website, www.centralkansacf.org. A specific review committee in Harvey County will determine which entities will receive the funding earmarked in Harvey County. The Foundation is supporting several efforts across their service region that include Relief Funds in Peabody, El Dorado and Hillsboro as well as the region-wide fund. Volunteers have been selected to support the review process for each of these relief efforts.
Further information is available at www.centralkansascf.org under the “COVID-19” tab.
