Last month, Invest in Others provided an opportunity for advisors to apply for a grant on behalf of nonprofits who were struggling amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We received over 150 applications for this COVID-19 grant program and we are honored to recognize our eight recipients.
Armed Services YMCA Honolulu – Robert Borek Jr. | LPL Financial
What are some of the big challenges this nonprofit is facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? How have the needs of those you serve changed?
Like everyone else, the ASYMCA of Honolulu’s reserves are being diminished as we serve our military families through emergency food assistance and childcare as well as virtual early childhood education programs while continuing to keep our staff employed. During these unprecedented times, in an effort to remove any added stress for our clients, we have adjusted our programs to accommodate these new needs. Supporting these families has and continues to be our main priority, and as we look ahead to the reopening of ASYMCA in-person programs, we must put essential sanitary measures in place. These measures include hand washing stations, touchless thermometers, sanitizing mats, and hand sanitizing stations at each of our branches. While our teachers and children are eager to resume in-person programs, we must make the safety and health of our military children our main priority.
What will this grant be used for?
To complete funding towards the estimated $30,203.91 needed to provide essential sanitation measures in our six early childhood education facilities and two children’s waiting rooms on Oahu. Funds will be used to purchase portable hand washing stations, hand sanitizer stations, touchless thermometers and sanitizing floor mats.
Camp One Step by Children’s Oncology Services – Janel Huston | Huston Wealth Advisors
What are some of the big challenges this nonprofit is facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? How have the needs of those you serve changed?
In assessing the incredible health risks associated with COVID-19, the community we serve which includes pediatric cancer survivors with compromised immune systems, and no approved highly effective virus treatment options or vaccine yet available, our Medical Advisory Committee recommended to camp leadership that we transition our in-person spring and summer camp programs to virtual formats to protect the health and safety of our campers and volunteers. In understanding the need for our community to stay connected and seeing the importance of camper engagement through Camp One Step, we knew a complete cancellation of our programs was not an option. Therefore, beginning in March our management team quickly began preparing schedules, plans, timelines and activities to be able to pivot our upcoming in-person camp programs to virtual.
What will this grant be used for?
The grant will be used to support our Technology Fund. Through our Technology Fund, we are looking to purchase an inventory of approximately 75 Apple iPads that can be loaned to camper families and volunteers at no cost, so that they can participate in Summer Camp or any of our programs, as well as Camp One Step On Demand virtual activities held between virtual camp programs. We believe access to a device will truly benefit children and family members in need, as well as volunteers, and keep them connected and supported during programs with other members of our community. Following each program, surveys will include questions and capture data regarding their technology needs and how this resource supported them.
Cape Kid Meals – William Scotti | Axial Financial Group
What are some of the big challenges this nonprofit is facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? How have the needs of those you serve changed?
COVID-19 has made it very difficult for us to source the foods we typically include in our weekend food bags. We have had to find multiple places to purchase our food from and at a higher cost, to be able to get our products. However, the biggest challenge our organization has faced as a result of COVID-19 is the distribution model. Typically, we deliver bags to each of our 27 schools weekly across the Cape. With this pandemic we had to work with each district to determine the best locations to distribute the CKM bags. On a weekly basis we work with various schools to modify the locations as needed to accommodate the families. The needs have also changed as we are trying to support siblings of a family who typically were not part of the program. We also have had families reach out who need family level support and have been working to assist that level of need as well.
Purpose of Request: What will this grant be used for?
This grant will be used to continue serving our families right through the school year. In addition, we are in the process of determining how we can continue to support families over the summer. Typically, our program ends with the school year, but we realize that the economic impact of COVID-19 to many of our families has been devastating, we will be determining what level of support we can provide when school is out.
Emily’s Place – Mark Hagan | UBS Financial Services, Inc.
What are some of the big challenges this nonprofit is facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? How have the needs of those you serve changed?
Domestic violence has significantly increased during the pandemic resulting in a greater demand for services for victims and their children. Emily’s Place has suffered increased costs and loss of funding due to the pandemic. Increased costs include groceries, medical care, 24-7 security due to increased threats, increased cleanings and hospital grade disinfections for community living spaces, laptops/ printers/ supplies for moms and kids enrolled in distance learning, medical and cleaning supplies, and basic needs. Counseling, medical costs, and access to resources has increased as well.
Because of the pandemic, we have had to cancel our 3 fundraisers (gala, golf and tennis tournaments) which provides 70% of our budget. 100% of the current families lost their job due to the pandemic.
What will this grant be used for?
These funds will be used 100% for programmatic services including housing, counseling, case management, victim’s advocacy, basic needs, food, access to medical and legal resources, and life skills programming.
Interfaith Health Clinic – Russ Wilson | UBS Financial Services Inc.
What are some of the big challenges this nonprofit is facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? How have the needs of those you serve changed?
Currently, Interfaith is providing direct health care services to a vulnerable population whose needs have changed in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. Interfaith’s staff is working five days and two evenings each week on the front lines, triaging and screening patients, to ensure that the underserved receive top-notch medical care in an atmosphere of empathy and stability.
In addition to this, we have had to cancel our signature fundraiser and modify our second largest fundraiser from in person to online. This loss in revenue, coupled with increasing expenses and the fact that we’re now seeing three times as many new patients with less funding, is devastating for our organization.
What will this grant be used for?
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve quickly learned that telemedicine is more important now than ever before. Especially at Interfaith Health Clinic, where many of our patients are high-risk – we have seen the immediate need to make our services available to patients via telemedicine. Because we currently have no equipment or system to properly carry out telemedicine, we are seeking funding to implement a telecommunications suite that would provide expanded access to care for a population with a variety of social determinants of health stacked against them. A contribution of $5,000 from the Invest in Others Foundation would provide low-income patients at Interfaith with access to telehealth services for a six-month period.
Lakeland Emergency Squad – Mel Dennison | Balance Accounting & Financial Services
What are some of the big challenges this nonprofit is facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? How have the needs of those you serve changed?
We are in need of Decontamination equipment so that we can sterilize and sanitize all of our ambulances and equipment and return them to service in under 3 hours. The expectations are that we are more capable of handling these special needs that have arisen due to this pandemic.
What will this grant be used for?
We will need to purchase the following equipment: UV-C lighting equipment, hand-held and stand alone as well as two air sanitizing units. We will also need to purchase Enviro-Cide germicidal cleaner.
The One, Inc. – Lindsay Carter | Morgan Stanley
What are some of the big challenges this nonprofit is facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? How have the needs of those you serve changed?
COVID-19 has presented a very real and very scary set of circumstances for the unsheltered population in Central AR. In all of the years we’ve operated (founded April 2011) we have NEVER seen this number of unserved individuals. Due to the majority of funded shelters being mandated closed or dramatically limiting their outreach/resources the number of encampments have swelled to an unprecedented level. We do not receive any state or local (budgeted) support. We rely solely on private donors and grant funding to continue our mission. Without additional capital infusions this Spring and Summer we fear that the health risk to those who are unsheltered and now under/unserved will become untenable. In our mind, we are absolutely impacted by the current pandemic. The individuals we serve are at extremely high risk due to lack of shelter and healthcare.
What will this grant be used for?
This grant will go directly to our outreach efforts over the next 6 months as we increase our mobile supply deliveries, wellness checks, food/sustenance distributions and overall general mission in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic.
The Urban Warehouse – Roxana Solorzano | Allstate Financial Services
What are some of the big challenges this nonprofit is facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? How have the needs of those you serve changed?
We normally host a weekly food drive on Fridays for the east Los Angeles community. The average number of participants prior to COVID-19 was approximately 200. That number is up to 400 participants as of 04/24/2020 and increasing every week. With the skate shop being closed for business, the funds available for the food drive have been significantly reduced.
What will this grant be used for?
To provide food for 400 families for at least 10 weeks. We are currently working on a budget of $250 per week but our funds are close to running out since profits from the store normally help fund the Friday food drive.