The Russell Berrie Foundation, a Teaneck-based philanthropic organization, announced on Tuesday a $4.48 million worth of emergency grants to support those on the frontlines of COVID-19 relief effort.
The funds will go toward medical institutions, organizations that address the needs of vulnerable populations, and those who provide medical and health care-related services throughout North Jersey and Israel.
A total of $1.82 million of the grant pool will be used to serve organizations in North Jersey. They include:
Health care needs
- Holy Name Medical Center: $250,000 to purchase personal protective equipment and ventilators;
- Englewood Medical Center: $250,000 for emergency health needs, like buying PPE and supplies;
- New Bridge Medical Center: $250,000 for emergency health needs;
- NJ YMCA Alliance: $200,000 to provide emergency child care for health workers in Bergen County;
- Jewish Home Family: $100,000 for emergency personnel needs and to purchase PPE;
- Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative: $85,000 to convert to a telemedicine platform;
- Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center: $50,000 for equipment and technology;
- The Diabetes Foundation: $50,000 to prepare emergency diabetes care kits for patients in Bergen County.
Food insecurity
- Community Food Bank of New Jersey: $100,000 to lessen food insecurity and provide meals;
- Bergen Volunteer Center: $50,000 to coordinate services, such as matching volunteers with organizations in need;
- Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey: $50,000 to coordinate of local resources and deliver kosher meals;
Economic insecurity
- Rising Tide Capital: $150,000 for technical assistance and support to small businesses;
- Northern NJ Community Foundation: $50,000 to support nonprofits working on the front lines;
- Jewish Federation of Northern NJ: $50,000 for two case managers for Jewish Family and Children’s Services.
Other
- BergenPAC: $100,000 to stabilize the arts center;
- Center for Loving Kindness of the Pittsburgh JCC: $35,000 for an online interfaith network.
The Russell Berrie Foundation said it will also provide $1.66 million to institutions in Israel as well as an additional $1 million to support Ogen Social Finance, Israel’s first social bank.
“In this moment of extraordinary need, we are working to mitigate the pain and anxiety of communities both locally in Northern New Jersey and abroad,” Angelica Berrie, president, The Russell Berrie Foundation, said. “Our strength as a community will be tested by this crisis and how we respond – generously, with empathy and compassion – will reflect our capacity to cope with future challenges. Our role in philanthropy is not just to give money but to lead, especially in times like this, when the need exceeds the capacity of any one giver to fill. We hope our leadership inspires others to give fearlessly at a moment when so many lives and the future of our community, our country and our world needs us more than ever before.”
