ACF approves nearly $100,000 in fourth round of emergency response funding during COVID-19 outbreak
This week, Akron Community Foundation announced $97,590 in grants to assist nonprofits during the coronavirus outbreak through its Community Response Fund for Nonprofits. This latest round of grants was approved by a sub-committee of the foundation's board of directors and brings the foundation's cumulative emergency nonprofit funding to nearly $250,000 since the response fund was established in mid-March. The fund has also grown to nearly $570,000 in assets.
This round of funding includes a $4,840 grant to help Crown Point Ecology Center provide fresh, organic produce to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and other local agencies feeding those in need during the current health crisis. With this funding, the ecology center will establish a vegetable garden solely dedicated to these organizations and maintained by community volunteers.
"We're very excited to build a new 'food donation' garden with this funding," said Carolyn Kean, executive director of Crown Point Ecology Center. "Twelve raised beds will be constructed and planted over the next two months and the harvest will supply our local foodbank and other food pantries. We look forward to having individual and group volunteers participate in this new adventure. Most importantly, this new garden can be expanded in the future and available for years to come."
A $5,000 grant will allow Urban Vision to distribute support kits containing cleaning supplies, groceries, easy meals and other essential items to families within the North Hill community. Throughout March and April, Urban Vision handed out 500 support kits to at-risk community members. This latest round of kits will include academically appropriate workbooks and resources to aid remote learning for local students and parents.
"We are thankful for Akron Community Foundation's grant to allow us to supply basic needs of the families we serve during this difficult season," said Rodney Matthews, executive director of Urban Vision. "With this support, Urban Vision can continue to provide assistance with the great families of North Hill we have the pleasure to call friends and family."
The Community Response Fund for Nonprofits has been bolstered by donations from a variety of organizations, foundation fundholders, and community members, including: Akron Marathon, Bath Community Fund of Akron Community Foundation, Giant Eagle, Huntington Bank, KeyBank, Leppo Rents, the Medina County Community Fund of Akron Community Foundation, Burton D. Morgan Foundation, OMNOVA Foundation, Roetzel, and the Women's Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation.
Akron Community Foundation will award grants through its Community Response Fund for Nonprofits on a continual basis to help combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Summit and Medina counties. For more information about the Community Response Fund for Nonprofits, visit www.akroncf.org/communityresponsefundinfo.
Below is a complete list of the fourth round of grants awarded:
Akron Children's Hospital, to support the Akron Children's Hospital Employee Hardship Fund for assistance during the current health crisis, $5,000
Akron Inner City Soccer Club, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable, low-income immigrant and refugee families, $2,500
Akron Zoo, to distribute health and hygiene products to Akron Public Schools students and their families, $5,000
ArtsNow, to support the arts and culture sector of Summit County, $5,000
The Blick Center, to support adults with disabilities and to help manage the mental health of clients, $3,000
Copley United Methodist Church, to help the Copley Outreach Center purchase food and to support its general operations, $2,000
Crown Point Ecology Center, to help provide fresh, organic produce to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and other local agencies feeding those in need during the current health crisis, $4,840
Curated Storefront, to support local artists by providing assistance with rent and other basic needs, $5,000
Donovan's Kids, to support face mask production for families in Summit County, $750
East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation, to provide rent assistance for tenants who have been economically affected by COVID-19, $5,000
EasterSeals of Northern Ohio, to create a virtual continuum of care for adults with disabilities in Summit County during the current health crisis, $5,000
The Emergency Assistance Center, to provide food and personal hygiene supplies to residents in Summit County, $2,500
Falls Cancer Club, to support medical expenses for its registered cancer patients, $3,000
Greenleaf Family Center, to support technology for telehealth services and to purchase personal protective equipment for clients and staff, $5,000
ideastream, to provide trustworthy, thoughtful, and up-to-date information to listeners across Northeast Ohio, $2,500
JoAnna House II, to support outreach within Summit County and the organization's recovery program, $2,500
Kent State University Foundation, to support emergency needs of college students from Summit and Medina counties who have been impacted by COVID-19, $3,000
Project: LEARN of Medina County, to restore and develop safety measures for one-to-one adult literacy, G.E.D. achievement, and English as a second language programs amid the current health crisis, $2,500
Medina Cares, to support Medina County residents who have been medically diagnosed or quarantined with COVID-19, $5,000
Operation Homes, to continue to provide temporary shelter to homeless individuals in Medina County during COVID-19, $4,000
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, to provide rent and utility assistance to Summit County residents in need, $5,000
Service Corps of Retired Executives Organization (SCORE), to support mentoring services for struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, $4,000
South Akron Youth Mentorship, to adapt group mentoring to individual and virtual programs, and to distribute emergency food and supplies, $5,000
Summit Food Coalition, to support updates to our local food guide to aid in economic recovery efforts, $2,500
Urban Vision, to distribute support kits with cleaning supplies, groceries, easy meals and other essential items to families in the North Hill neighborhood, $5,000
Victim Assistance Program, to provide 24/7 crisis intervention hotline services, $5,000
About Akron Community Foundation
Celebrating 64 years of building community philanthropy, Akron Community Foundation embraces and enhances the work of charitable people who make a permanent commitment to the good of the community. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. It is a philanthropic endowment of $200 million with a growing family of more than 670 funds established by charitable people and organizations from all walks of life. The community foundation and its funds welcome gifts of all kinds, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, life insurance and retirement assets, just to name a few. To date, the community foundation's funds have awarded nearly $173 million in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. For more information about Akron Community Foundation or to learn more about creating your own charitable fund, call 330-376-8522 or visit www.akroncf.org.