UNITED WAY BAY AREA COVID-19 COMMUNITY RELIEF FUND DISTRIBUTES $4.3 MILLION, MORE SUPPORT NEEDED

 

Dollars flowing in phases from United Way Bay Area’s (UWBA) COVID-19 Community Relief Fund to help residents hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis now total$4,314,250. These funds have been awarded to 97 nonprofits across eight Bay Area counties that are working tirelessly to support their communities. While $4.9 million has been raised to date, it represents only a fraction of the $28.9 million that nonprofits have requested from the UWBA fund. This sobering gap demonstrates the need within our region.

The COVID-19 Community Relief Fund was kicked off by a generous gift from an anonymous donor and has since received donations from Texas Instruments, City National Bank, Truist Foundation,

Herbst Foundation, Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund, Richard W. Goldman Family Foundation,

Actelion, A Janssen Pharmaceutical Company of Johnson & Johnson, Sandia Labs, Dodge & Cox, and MUFG Union Bank Foundation as well as contributions from other corporations and hundreds of individuals. Donations are still needed and can be made at https://uwba.org/covid19fund.

“Workers at community nonprofits like food banks and family resource centers are on the front lines of mitigating the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. These heroes need our support to adapt and be effective in this challenging environment,” said Kelly Batson, senior vice president of community impact at UWBA. “Our local nonprofits are working overtime to find ways to help large numbers of newly vulnerable households receive critical services.”

As an example, Community Services Agency (CSA) of Mountain View is a UWBA COVID-19 Community Relief Fund grantee that helps individuals and families on low or fixed incomes, seniors and those who are homeless. The UWBA funds are being used to hire additional pantry staff and case managers, ramp up advertising for volunteer recruitment, provide rental and utility payment assistance to new and existing clients and purchase additional food to meet the increased need.

“Normally we have about 20 to 25 rental assistance cases at CSA. We currently have a queue of 1,500 people, and it’s all because of the collapse of the service sector and the gig economy,” said Tom Myers, CSA executive director. “The number of people needing rental assistance is huge, and so is the number of people coming to us on a regular basis for food. The need has really multiplied.”

COVID-19 Community Relief Funds also are helping to support dramatically increased demand for 211, an information and referral service provided in the eight Bay Area counties by UWBA, Eden I&Rand Contra Costa Crisis Center. Live specialists at 211 provide users with essential information about COVID-19 and referrals to local services that will help them withstand the outbreak’s severe economic effects, such as food pantries, rental assistance and utility assistance. The Bay Area 211 system has received more than 31,000 calls and texts since the crisis began in March.

UWBA continues to adapt in executing its ongoing programs, which deliver vital resources and services to vulnerable residents across the Bay Area every day. For example, Earn It! Keep It! Save It! has moved its free income tax preparation services online and SparkPoint centers are delivering free financial and career coaching sessions by video conference. UWBA’s Labor Community Services program, in partnership with Labor Councils in San Francisco, San Mateo, Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, has designed a hardship program to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on union members who do not qualify for unemployment benefits. The program has received 330 applications and has already helped 120 union worker families, including immigrant workers, with a combination of bill payments and grocery and gas cards.

 

COVID-19 Relief Fund grantees include (by county):

 

ALAMEDA COUNTY

 

Abode Services

Alameda Food Bank

Alternative Family Services, Inc

Berkeley Food Pantry

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS)

Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants

Cornerstone BFWC

Covenant House

Davis Street Community Center Incorporated

East Bay Sanctuary Covenant

East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation

Family Violence Law Center

Fremont Family Resource Center

The Friends of Chabot College

Mandela Partners

Operation Dignity, Inc.

Ruby’s Place

Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments, Inc

St. Mary’s Center

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Alameda County

Tri-City Health Center

The Spanish Speaking Unity Council of Alameda County

 

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

 

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County

Meals on Wheels Diablo

Monument Crisis Center

Monument Impact

Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc.

Shelter Inc.

St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County

The Latina Center

 

MARIN COUNTY

 

Canal Alliance

Community Action Marin

Homeward Bound of Marin

Parent Services Project

St. Vincent de Paul of Marin County

YWCA of San Francisco & Marin

 

NAPA COUNTY

 

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa

Napa Emergency Women’s Services

On the Move

Puertas Abiertas

UpValley Family Centers

 

SAN FRANCISCO

 

Asian Pacific American Community Center

Asian Week Foundation

Catholic Charities San Francisco

Central City Hospitality House

Community Forward CATS

Compass Family Services

Dolores Street Community

Gum Moon Women’s Residence

La Raza Community Resource

Larkin Street Youth Services

Mission Asset Fund

Open Door Legal

Raphael House of San Francisco

SF Women’s Center (The Women’s Building) Swords to Plowshares Veterans Rights Organization

 

SAN MATEO COUNTY

 

Coastside Hope

CORA

Daly City Community Services

Home and Hope

Mental Health Association of San Mateo County

One Step Beyond, Inc.

Pacifica Resource Center

Puente de la Costa Sur

Samaritan House

St. Vincent de Paul of San Mateo County

WeHOPE

YMCA South San Francisco

 

SANTA CLARA COUNTY

 

AACI

Center for Employment Opportunities

Community Services Agency of Mountain View

Community Solutions for Children Families and Individuals

Grace Solutions

Jewish Family Services

Loaves and Fishes

Life Moves Martha’s Kitchen

Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence

San Jose Evergreen Community College District – SparkPoint San Jose

Sacred Heart Community Service

Salvation Army

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

St. Joseph’s Family Center

Sunnyvale Community Services

West Valley Community Services

 

SOLANO COUNTY

 

Faith Food Fridays

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano (listed in Contra Costa as well)

Meals on Wheels of Solano County, Inc.

Orphan Relief Network, Inc. (dba) Solano Dream Center

Children’s Network of Solano County

Catholic Charities Yolo Solano

 

About United Way Bay Area

 

United Way Bay Area (UWBA) fights for financial stability and equal opportunity for residents in eight Bay Area counties. UWBA takes an innovative, holistic approach to ending the cycle of poverty through advocacy and programs that support all ages—providing free access to family support, financial and career coaching, job opportunities and basic needs. More at www.uwba.org