Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund grants are available through the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan

Walden's First Reformed Church among recent recipients

Posted 6/18/20

Three months since the establishment of the Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund by the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan (CFOS), funding remains available for nonprofits aiding those …

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Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund grants are available through the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan

Walden's First Reformed Church among recent recipients

Posted

Three months since the establishment of the Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund by the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan (CFOS), funding remains available for nonprofits aiding those impacted by the pandemic.

Since its inception, the fund has distributed 102 grants totaling $419,000 to address immediate and longer-term needs of residents in Orange and Sullivan counties hardest hit by COVID-19. The Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund distributes grants of up to $5 thousand each to established nonprofit organizations that provide front-line services to the counties’ most vulnerable populations – food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, protective personal equipment for healthcare workers, online access to education for students, diapers and formula for babies, and telehealth for the elderly and those with special needs.

“The impacts of the novel coronavirus are uncertain and continue to mount,” said Elizabeth Rowley, CFOS President and CEO. “The Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund continues to be a funding resource for those in need and nonprofits are encouraged to apply for grants.”

First Reformed Church in Walden is among the fund’s recent grant recipients. Traditionally, the program provides backpacks with snacks for distribution through the Valley Central School District to students facing food insecurity on the weekends. Since the pandemic, they have been providing bags of food to be delivered to the doorsteps of hungry students now at home.  

“We are so grateful for the funding we received from the Orange and Sullivan COVID-19 Response Fund,” said Susan Kennedy, Vice President and Treasurer of First Reformed Church. “The Backpack Snack Attack mission has provided over 54,000 meals since its inception. These funds have allowed us to provide approximately 800 weekend bags. We are currently providing 135 to 150 bags each week.”

Since its inception, the fund has generated overwhelming support from local individuals, corporations and foundations and raised nearly $530,000. Grant requests are coming in daily, and CFOS continues to look to the public for donations to meet escalating needs in both counties.

Nonprofit organizations providing response services to Orange and Sullivan residents during this pandemic are encouraged to apply for grants and donations at any level are currently being accepted. For more information, visit www.cfosny.org/covid-19-response-fund/