Meigs County Community Fund Awards Grants to Provide Support During COVID-19 Crisis
Ten Meigs County Organizations Receive Funding
Pomeroy, OH – With $25,000 in funding from the Sisters Health Foundation, the Meigs County Community Fund has supported Meigs County’s nonprofit organizations as they step up to meet the changing needs created by COVID-19.
The Meigs County Community Fund’s more than $25,000 in grant awards supports ten Meigs County nonprofits working across four critical areas: food access and distribution, the needs of seniors, mental health and addiction-related needs, and community health care infrastructure.
“We are very thankful to be able to partner with Sisters Health and support the work of our community’s nonprofits during these troubling times,” said Jennifer Sheets, president of the Meigs County Community Fund. “We encourage Meigs County organizations to share their needs with us as we continue to work through this difficult period. We also encourage those who hold Meigs County close to their hearts to consider a gift to the Meigs County Community Fund, to better prepare our communities to respond to future moments of crisis.”
Grant recipients include Eastern Local Schools, Golden Harvest Food Pantry, Hopewell Health Centers, the Meigs County Council on Aging, the Meigs Prayer Task Force, the Meigs Cooperative Parish and its Mulberry Community Center, New Beginnings United Methodist Church, the River of Life Care Closet, Rutland United Methodist Church, and Southern Local Schools.
“There are so many people and organizations working to make an impact in Meigs County right now, and we are grateful to have the Meigs County Community Fund as a partner,” said Renee Steffen, executive director of Sisters Health Foundation. “It is crucial that we all work together to help each other during times of crisis, and collaborate to build resources that can prepare our communities for future moments of uncertainty.”
Eastern Local Schools received funding to support the Eastern Eagle Pack Program. The program provides meals and basic supplies for pickup at the elementary school on a daily basis and delivery to specific locations within the district on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Funding will help offset costs associated with the purchase, preparation, and delivery of meals.
The Golden Harvest Food Pantry in Long Bottom received funding to provide food for families in Meigs County. The pantry serves around 300 families per month and with the recent increase in need, funds will help refill their pantry and support the pick-up of food for distribution.
Hopewell Health Centers received funding to create and distribute personalized mental health care kits for individuals and families as they address mental health challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The kits will contain interactive journals, sensory materials, family games and activities, activity books for adults, and informational handouts based on the specific needs and interests of recipients.
The Meigs County Council on Aging received funding to support an increase in Meals on Wheels recipients. An additional route has been added to their food delivery, and funding will support increased meal delivery routes, the purchase of utilities such as packing trays and heating/cooling units, and the purchase of shelf-stable food.
The Meigs Prayer Task Force received funding to provide sack lunches to students while schools are shut down. They also provide emergency food boxes and craft activities to families as needed.
The Meigs Cooperative Parish and its Mulberry Community Center in Pomeroy received funding for its Adult Grocery Bag Program and School Backpack Program, which provide food for people in Meigs County and students in the Eastern and Southern district schools. The funding will help support the increased need for these programs by covering one month of crisis-level food expenses. Funding will also support kitchen upgrades that allow for the better service of clients given social distancing.
New Beginnings United Methodist Church in Pomeroy received funding to provide meals for the community twice a week. New Beginnings will partner with the Meigs Farmers Market to provide these meals in the community. Funding will help to add food items and continue the food giveaway for as long as the need exists during the COVID-19 crisis.
River of Life Care Closet in Rutland received funding to purchase a delivery truck for food pantry pick-ups. They pick up hundreds of pounds of food on a weekly basis from different retail pick-up locations and make 75-100 food bags to distribute on Wednesday evenings.
The Rutland United Methodist Church received funding to distribute food from their pantry twice a month for the next two months to help with the increase in clients. The funds will be used to purchase non-perishable items for the second round of distribution.
Southern Local Schools received funding to support its weekend food bag programs that support children and families at Southern Elementary. Weekend meals are delivered in tandem with the breakfast and lunch deliveries that students would ordinarily get at school. These weekend meals are even more important now with students out of school.
The Meigs County Community Fund is a local community fund of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO). The Meigs County Community Fund provides a way for anyone to give back to the community and invest in nonprofits, schools and community organizations through grants.
If you are interested in making a gift to support the Meigs County Community Fund and build the resources necessary to address this crisis and future needs in the community, please contact FAO at 740.753.1111 or info@ffao.org. Thanks to FAO’s current match opportunity, your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar until May 31, 2020. To learn more about the Meigs County Community Fund, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/Meigs.
About the Meigs County Community Fund
The Meigs County Community Fund was created in 2011 to increase and advance philanthropic activities in Meigs County. The Meigs County Community Fund works to attract philanthropic resources in the form of gifts, grants, or bequests to benefit the broader community.
About the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) is a regional community foundation serving the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio. A 501(c)(3) public charity, the Foundation creates opportunities for Appalachian Ohio’s citizens and communities by inspiring and supporting philanthropy. For more information about FAO, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org.
