United Way of Bartholomew County’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, launched just two weeks ago to help residents with job-loss and related expenses amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, already has collected $300,000, according to organizers.
And they say the fund will remain active at least another month or more.
In keeping with leaders’ vow to distribute funds as quickly as possible to nonprofit United Way agencies, $55,000 already has been allocated in an opening round of grants to several agencies for basic needs such as housing, food, clothing, and child care, said Mark Stewart. He is president of the local United Way and the one who announced the formation of the fund on March 17.
“I am personally shocked by the total,” said Stewart, in his role for eight years. “The outpouring of support has been tremendous. But I knew the community would be generous.”
He knows partly because the county has, for years off and on, led the state in per-capita giving for United Way fundraising campaigns. This includes a period under former United Way President Doug Otto.
Stewart said donations have ranged from $10 to $10,000, and have come from private citizens to businesses and corporations. He added that the majority of donors thus far appear to be individuals.
One segment of the community especially struggling is the hospitality sector, according to Stewart.
“Workers in restaurants and hotels are being heavily impacted due to reduced (work) hours,” Stewart said. “We anticipate that, in the next few weeks, demand for help with the basics will be increasing dramatically.”
He added that the uppermost needs include groceries and rent assistance.
Even without the relief fund, United Way offers help or service of some form that touches the lives of about one-third of Bartholomew Count residents, according to its annual figures. It also has earned the highest ranking for reliability from national organizations measuring that such as Charity Navigator.
Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center, which already helps residents in some of the most challenging, poverty-related circumstances locally, recently received $5,000 from the relief fund, with more expected later. That money is being spent on client gift cards, cleaning supplies and more, said Randy Allman, the center’s executive director.
Because of increasing needs in the downtown neighborhood, he and Diane Doup, the agency’s community outreach coordinator, have begun working seven days per week to answer calls and offer help.
Allman said that, for the sake of everyone’s safety, nearly all interaction is done by phone. Then, Lincoln-Central residents show up at the center to pick up their items placed just outside the office door upon their arrival.
Allman and Doup emphasized that clients still are being reminded to use existing resources for help: the township trustee system, Love Chapel food pantry, Human Services Inc., and Sans Souci, with which the neighborhood center shares a database to prevent service duplication.
“Columbus is very social-service rich,” Allman said. “And all of the agencies realize that we’re all in this together.”
Sans Souci is another agency that recently received $5,000, according to Sheryl Adams, its executive director.
“Right now, the main need is food (for clients),” Adams said. “And rent concerns are just beginning to crop up. We’re checking with everyone to make sure they know every place locally they can go for resources.”
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Donations can be made at the United Way of Bartholomew County website at uwbarthco.org and clicking on the relief fund link.
Information: 812-376-3001.
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