The Princeton Area Community Foundation announced on Thursday it will provide nearly $700,000 worth of grants to more than 30 nonprofits to help in the fight against COVID-19.
“This crisis is having a devastating impact on our most vulnerable communities,” Jeffrey M. Vega, CEO and president of the Lawrenceville-based XXXXXXX. “As a philanthropic leader in this region, we knew we had to act quickly to help our local nonprofits, and we are so grateful for the support we received from other community leaders to help us create this fund.”
The foundation said it has partnered with local philanthropists, foundations and companies to support a COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund to respond to the immediate and long-term needs of regional nonprofits. To date, the company has raised more than $1.5 million, but $2 million is needed from the community.
The $694,644 initial grant round will be given to organizations focusing on food insecurity, mental health, homelessness, rental assistance support and social services.
“The Community Foundation was established almost 30 years ago because our founder realized that in places where philanthropy thrives, communities thrive,” Eleanor Horne, PACF trustee and chair of the Committee on Impact, said. “This fund provides local donors with a trusted resource to distribute their charitable dollars. It is designed to be flexible and nimble, so we can quickly help the nonprofits that are providing vital services to our communities during this crisis.”
Initial grants were awarded to:
- Anchor House, Trenton: for its supportive housing programs;
- Arm In Arm, Trenton/Princeton: to provide services to those who are food insecure;
- The Blue Bears Special Meals, Princeton: to support the employment of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities;
- Boys & Girls Club of Trenton & Mercer County: to provide food and youth support to children;
- Capital Area YMCA, Trenton: to provide services to those who are food insecure;
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Trenton: to provide services those who are homeless;
- Catholic Youth Organization of Mercer County, Trenton: to provide services to those who are food insecure;
- The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, Trenton: to help transition its staff to remote work so they can continue to provide critical social services;
- Community Loan Fund of New Jersey, Trenton: to provide services to those who are food insecure;
- Corner House Foundation, Princeton: to provide youth support and behavioral health services;
- Every Child Valued, Lawrence: to provide food and youth support;
- Hamilton Township School District: to provide social services in collaboration with Prevent Child Abuse NJ;
- Help Self Community Development Corp., Trenton: to provide educational resources to those in its after-school program, to lend laptops to students who do not have computers, and to provide food and social services to the children;
- HomeFront, Lawrence: to provide services to those who are food insecure and/or homeless;
- Housing Initiatives of Princeton Charitable Trust: to provide food, homelessness and social services and youth support to families;
- Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Princeton: to provide mental health services for teens and adults;
- Literacy New Jersey, Hamilton: to provide adult literacy education to its adult students, and homework help for the children of those students;
- Meals on Wheels of Mercer County, Ewing: to cover background checks for new volunteers;
- • Mercer Street Friends, Trenton: to provide emergency weekend food bags to families in Trenton;
- Millhill Child & Family Development, Trenton: to launch a new tele-therapy delivery system to provide behavioral health services;
- Mount Carmel Guild of Trenton, to provide services to families and seniors who are food insecure and/or homeless
- NAMI Mercer NJ, Hamilton, to provide peer-led, peer-engaged mental health education and support for children, families and adults
- New Jersey Agricultural Society, Bordentown: to provide services to those who are food insecure;
- Prevention Education Inc., Lawrenceville: to provide youth support and mental health counseling for children;
- Princeton Children’s Fund: to provide relief funding for those most at risk of losing shelter and lacking access to food and resources;
- Princeton Nursery School: to provide services and youth support to very young children who are food insecure;
- Princeton Senior Resource Center: to provide online programming for seniors;
- The Rescue Mission of Trenton: to work with its homeless community;
- RISE, Hightstown: to provide food, health and social services;
- Snipes Farm and Education Center, Morrisville, Pennsylvania: to provide services to those who are food insecure and/or homeless;
- Trenton Area Soup Kitchen: to provide services to those who are food insecure;
- UIH Family Partners, Trenton: to provide food, behavioral health and social services;
- UrbanPromise Trenton: to provide support services to high school students;
- Volunteers of America Delaware Valley, Camden: to provide food and health and homelessness services to seniors and adults in Mercer and Burlington counties.
