The Cape Cod Foundation recently deployed a third wave of funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development’s Community Foundations Grant Program for COVID-19 Relief through its Strategic Emergency Response Fund.
“In 2020, the foundation applied for these grants to bring additional resources to the community during the pandemic,” said Kristin O’Malley, president and CEO. “We distributed the first two waves of state funding, a total of $637,756, to 12 local nonprofits in February and May of 2021.”
The recent wave brought an additional $417,777 in relief funding to 10 qualifying nonprofit organizations: Catholic Social Services of Fall River, Health Imperatives, Cape Cod Times Needy Fund, Cape Cod Council of Churches, Independence House, Kennedy Donovan Center, Harwich Ecumenical Council for Housing, Cape Cod Children’s Place, Monomoy Community Services, and Homeless Prevention Council.
The state funds have been earmarked for low-income households experiencing severe economic hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Populations with limited or no English proficiency and access to other sources of economic relief have been emphasized. The funds have provided direct financial assistance to more than 800 qualifying individuals and households in Barnstable Country with an average annual income of $24,944. They have supported basic human needs, such as childcare, housing/shelter, transportation, technology for remote work/school, food security, utilities, and healthcare.
O’Malley said the foundation also recently awarded four other grants from its Strategic Emergency Response Fund:
Behavioral Health Innovators, $20,000
To support the new Cape Cod PASS Program in select Barnstable County high schools. The program provides a restorative discipline alternative to school suspension and the opportunity to assess students for mental health and substance use issues and offer solutions.
Duffy Health Center, $10,000
To support “In from the Streets”, a community-wide program, which offers temporary motel shelter and case management services to individuals experiencing homelessness who are medically frail or at-risk due to severe weather.
Harwich Ecumenical Council for Housing, $5,000
To support continued operations for The Children’s Center, which provides affordable childcare for low-income working families on Cape Cod. This funding will help mitigate the impact of reduced operating revenue and increased expenses caused by the pandemic.
Dream Day Cape Cod, $5,000
To support COVID 19 testing kits for their camp, which provides respite programs to children with serious and/or life-threatening illnesses and their families.
“While we will continue to allocate resources to meet immediate community needs, we will also continue to deploy funding from the Strategic Emergency Response Fund to support capacity building initiatives that will help nonprofits reach the next level of operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity,” O’Malley added.
She said the foundation recently launched its pilot Capacity Building Grant Program and awarded a total of $200,000 to five local nonprofits for immediate general operating support and capacity building project implementation over the course of the two-year program.
Since 2020, through the Strategic Emergency Response Fund, the foundation has raised over $3,781,616 and allocated $3,026,911 to local nonprofit organizations across Cape Cod to meet immediate needs in response to the covid pandemic and to support recovery and rebuild efforts.
O’Malley was recently appointed to the Barnstable County Commission’s American Rescue Plan Act Committee. The mission of this committee is to advise the Barnstable County Commissioners and the Assembly of Delegates on regional funding priorities and to recommend criteria to identify projects of regional impact for funding. Barnstable County has been allocated $41.37 million in ARPA funds.
