“Without any income, families are having to prioritize what little resources they may have to get through the COVID-19 crisis, leaving their rent and utilities unpaid. These families were already struggling before this crisis, but now these demands are even more prevalent,” said Brittany Chaffee, Downtown Hope’s Love Annapolis advocate volunteer. “As a team, we are striving to serve these families by making sure their day-to-day needs are met.”
Downtown Hope was one of 64 different nonprofits throughout the county to receive a grant from the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County’s (CFAAC) Community Crisis Response Fund. To date, 123 grants totaling $260,231 were awarded. Most recently, CFAAC funded $42K in its fifth cycle to 20 local nonprofits that serve the county’s most vulnerable and at-risk populations including seniors, children, low-income or food-insecure families, and the recently unemployed.
This latest grantmaking provided funding for organizations to purchase and distribute food and essential items to maintain safe and healthy environments, as well as provide assistance to Anne Arundel County residents who are facing housing insecurity and homelessness. Organizations such as Downtown Hope, whose Love Annapolis team is in direct contact with families regarding their specific needs, are ensuring that the county’s most vulnerable residents are taken care of during this crisis. The team not only provides these families with basic necessities like food, toiletries, diapers, and school supplies, they also assist families who are struggling financially to keep up on bills such as rent and utilities. Love Annapolis has established pop up pantries, which have served 2,500 individuals over the last three months.
For a full list of grantees please visit CFAAC’s website at www.cfaac.org/news.html.
“Our local nonprofits are on the front lines assisting our community and the Foundation’s Community Crisis Response Fund is continuing its efforts to help them help others,” said Mary Spencer, President & CEO of the CFAAC. “We realize that the individuals and families our county nonprofits serve are struggling even more as the pandemic continues. Quickly approving grants is paramount to us so that organizations such as Downtown Hope can provide almost immediate relief during these challenging times.”
More than $400,000 has been raised so far from CFAAC’s donor advised funds, individual donors, foundations, and local businesses. CFAAC has made grants through the Community Crisis Response Fund on a monthly basis since the beginning of the pandemic, adapting and expanding the focus areas based on the needs of the community, and will continue for as long as funding is available. Applications for the sixth cycle of grantmaking will be open from September 7th through September 18th. Grants will be made to local nonprofit organizations that are
Those wishing to contribute can:
- Make a secure, tax-deductible online donation through www.cfaac.org.
- Mail a check payable to “CFAAC” with “Community Crisis Response Fund” in the memo line to: 900 Bestgate Road, Ste. 400, Annapolis, MD, 21401.
Organizations Seeking Funding:
CFAAC will be opening the sixth cycle of grant funding from its Community Crisis Response Fund on September 7th. Interested organizations should follow www.cfaac.org/community-crisis- response-fund.html-0 for more information or sign-up for CFAAC’s newsletter.
CFAAC’s Community Crisis Response Fund allows for funding priorities to shift according to the most critical needs in Anne Arundel County. All grants from CFAAC’s Community Crisis Response Fund will be made to IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) public charities; the fund is not able to provide grants directly to individuals.
