The Community Emergency Relief Fund will give $100,000 in grants to 26 human services nonprofits and school districts across Southwest Colorado during its second round of coronavirus relief funding.
CERF, established in 2008, was set up for broad-based community emergencies in Southwest Colorado. As of May 1, CERF raised more than $275,000 from local businesses and individuals and $100,000 from matching funds to support organizations on the front lines of the pandemic, according to a news release Friday.
“We are thrilled by what we’ve seen come in, and what we’ve been able to get out to the community,” said Briggen Wrinkle, executive director of the Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado. The Community Foundation coordinates CERF grants with United Way of Southwest Colorado.
The second round of funding supported nonprofits serving people disproportionately affected by the emergency and school districts providing lunches and child care services.
“We have been working diligently to get this money distributed quickly to the organizations that are seeing increased demand due to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Lynn Urban, president and CEO of United Way of Southwest Colorado.
The first and second funding rounds focused on front-line response to the pandemic. The first round disbursed $101,000 in grants to organizations that provide food security, rent and utilities assistance and other services to populations vulnerable to the crisis’ economic and health impacts.
The CERF granted $50,000, donated by individuals and local organizations, and $50,000 in matching grants to organizations in all five counties in Southwest Colorado, including:
Archuleta County: Aspire, Food Equity Coalition, Loaves and Fishes and Pagosa Peak Open School.Dolores County: Dolores County School District, Dove Creek Care and Share Pantry.San Juan County: Silverton School District and Silverton Family Learning Center.Montezuma County: Center for Rural Outreach and Public Services, Montelores Early Childhood Council and Senior Housing Options.La Plata County: 4 Corners Rainbow Youth, Alternative Horizons, Compañeros, Durango Adult Education Center, Durango Food Bank, Durango School District 9-R, Good Food Collective, Grief Center of Southwest Colorado, Housing Solutions – Community Emergency Assistance Coalition, La Plata Family Centers Coalition, La Plata Family Youth Services, Pine River Shares, Southwest Center for Independence, Volunteers for America and Women’s Resource Center.“CERF funds supported Manna’s weekly backpack program, which provides food to families and has increased more than threefold because of the COVID pandemic,” said Marissa Hunt, program services specialist at Manna, a Round 1 recipient.
Nonprofits did not have resources for the number of people needing their services, and pantries have minimal stock. Save the Food, Feed the People is serving 600 meals a day – “and they didn’t even exist two months ago,” Wrinkle said.
“These dollars are really helping them be as generous as they want to be and need to be to our community,” she said.
The third round of CERF funding will address nonprofit stabilization and recovery for the nonprofit economy, including those that have been affected but aren’t on the front lines, like youth and art organizations. The timeline for applying for Round 3 funding has not been set. Organizers will share updates in mid- to late-May.
Nonprofits may follow the Community Foundation’s Facebook page and United Way of Southwest Colorado’s Facebook page for information about the next round of grant applications.
To donate to the Community Emergency Relief Fund, visit www.coloradogives.org/cerf or send a check payable to the Community Foundation with CERF in the memo line to P.O. Box 1673, Durango, CO 81302. Donations can also be taken by texting “credit” to 40403 to pay with your phone.
smullane@durangoherald.com
