Community Foundation Distributes $50,000 to Assist Brown County Individuals, Families During COVID-19 Crisis

The grants were made possible by funding to the Community Foundation from the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund (IRCF). The Community Foundation was one of 31 organizations throughout the state of Illinois to receive a grant from IRCF’s third round of funding, which prioritized funding for the counties hardest hit by the pandemic from both a health and economic standpoint. IRCF utilized data to prioritize 57 counties in greatest need of support throughout the state.

This is the second round of funding the Community Foundation has secured from the IRCF, following a $250,000 grant in April to support COVID-19 relief in Adams, Brown, Hancock, and Pike Counties. The IRCF prioritizes swiftly deploying resources to community foundations and nonprofits in support of residents in need of: emergency food and basic supplies; interim housing and shelter; primary health care services; utility and financial assistance; supports for children and other vulnerable populations, and nonprofit safety and operations assistance.

The Community Foundation partnered with Tracy Family Foundation and United Way of Brown County to identify needs and determine impactful grants to meet the goal of the funding and the needs of Brown County families. “While our communities and the state is beginning to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, its effects will be long-lasting. These grants will help families as they continue to encounter challenges resulting from lost wages, health challenges, and other disruptions,” said Catherine Bocke Meckes, Community Foundation CEO. 

Nonprofits that received grants include: 

• Brown County Food Basket: Food, household, and personal care items distributed to Brown County residents in need. 

• Brown County Ministerial Alliance/United Way of Brown County: Establishment of Brown County Unmet Needs committee to provide financial assistance for individuals and families in need.

• Community for Christ Assistance Center: Food pantry and individual/family financial assistance for rent and utilities in Brown County. 

• Quincy Catholic Charities: Mobile food pantry expenses in Brown County, including the purchase of cattle to be processes and distributed to those in need.

• QMG Healthcare Foundation: Financial assistance to oncology patients and their families from Brown County for rent/mortgage, utilities, and other financial needs during their cancer treatments. 

• Two Rivers Regional Council Foundation: Food pantry and personal care/household cleaning items distribution in Brown County; food baskets to families in quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure/diagnosis. 

• West Central Child Care Connection: Supporting safe family child care for Brown County families returning to work.

“These grants will put food on tables, help pay bills, provide medical and health supplies, and ensure families have safe child care as they return to work,” said Meckes. “We are grateful to the many donors throughout who have contributed to COVID-19 relief efforts – this fund and its grants are an example of Illinoisans coming together to help our state’s most vulnerable.”

To date, the Community Foundation has distributed $387,310 for COVID-19 relief efforts to nonprofit organizations serving high-priority needs throughout its 12-county service area. These grants have been distributed through two programs: the Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Nonprofit Response Fund and the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund (ICRF).

About the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund:

The Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund, chaired by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, was established by the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations and the United Way of Illinois in collaboration with the Office of the Governor to provide flexible funding to local nonprofit organizations across the state to supply essential resources to the individuals and households most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April, the Community Foundation received $250,000 from the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund (IRCF) and strategically distributed the funds to nonprofits serving individuals and families in Adams, Brown, Hancock, and Pike Counties, Illinois. On May 20, the Community Foundation was awarded an additional $50,000 from the IRCF for efforts specifically in Brown County, IL.

For a list of local grants made through the IRCF in April, visit https://www.mycommunityfoundation.org/community-foundation. 

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The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri builds permanent charitable funds to assist area nonprofits and communities. 

Its mission, “connecting people who care with causes that matter,” is achieved by gathering funds, growing them through investments, then granting to nonprofit organizations, causes or communities that mean the most to its donors.   

Since 1997, the Community Foundation has made more than $8 million in grants. It serves 12-counties: Adams, Brown, Hancock and Pike in Illinois and Clark, Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Pike, Knox, Shelby and Monroe in Missouri.  

The Community Foundation has IRS 501(c)(3) status, and contributions made to the Community Foundation generally qualify for the maximum allowable deductions for income and estate tax purposes.  

For more information, call 217-222-1237, email info@mycommunityfoundation.org or go to mycommunityfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/mycommunityfoundation.