The Sunshine Coast Community Foundation is establishing a special COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund that’s intended to meet urgent community needs.
The fund “brings together donors and those charities whose work is essential during the current crisis,” the foundation said in announcing the fund Tuesday.
Grants from the fund will be made to charities deemed to be helping the most vulnerable citizens on the Coast.
The foundation will seed the fund with $50,000 of its own resources and is inviting additional donations from the community.
Vicki Dobbyn, chair of the Community Foundation’s board, said the vulnerable have been especially hard hit by the pandemic.
“These are unprecedented times where people in our community who are already struggling with poverty, mental health issues, lack of housing and food, or loneliness are being disproportionately affected,” said Dobbyn.
“We want to support those organizations who are doing their best to provide programs and services to these individuals or families but may be challenged to do so.”
The entirety of any gifts received by the Community Foundation will go directly to grants made from the Emergency Relief Fund.
The Community Foundation is part of the Sunshine Coast Community Task Force, established to coordinate the sharing of information and responses to the COVID-19 crisis.
Those interested in donating to or receiving a grant from the fund can find more information at www.sccfoundation.com or by calling 604-741-7360.
