United Way of C.O. awards $160K to 26 nonprofits for COVID-19 relief

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – United Way of Central Oregon has awarded $160,000 from its COVID-19 Recovery & Resilience Fund to 26 local and regional nonprofits. The funds will support these agencies as they adapt in the age of COVID-19 to challenges in delivering services.

Local and regional nonprofit agencies are facing new challenges brought about by COVID-19 in delivering essential services to our community’s most vulnerable and meeting their needs.

Many members of our Central Oregon community will continue to face the fallout of COVID-19 in the weeks, months and even years to come. Challenges faced by many before the pandemic will remain long after, such as housing instability, food insecurity, mental health, childcare, domestic violence, and child abuse.

With these grant funds, United Way is supporting local nonprofits to adapt. United Way is also helping individuals and families in our community who are most impacted by this crisis to recover and to build resilience.

Recipients of these funds grant include: Assistance League of Bend ($2,500), Bend First United Methodist Church ($7,000), Bethlehem Inn ($8,500), Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend ($7,000), CASA of Central Oregon ($9,500), Council on Aging of Central Oregon ($5,000), DAWNS House ($6,000), Family Resource Center of Central Oregon ($4,000), Friends of the Children – Central Oregon ($4,000), Habitat for Humanity of La Pine Sunriver ($7,000), Healthy Beginnings ($4,000), Heart of Oregon Corps ($4,000), J Bar J Youth Services (Cascade Youth & Family Center and Grandma’s House Central Oregon) ($5,000), Jefferson County Faith Based Network – Community Food Network ($4,500), KIDS Center ($5,000), La Pine Community Health Center ($7,000), Latino Community Association ($9,000), MountainStar Family Relief Nursery ($10,000), NeighborImpact Food Bank ($9,500), NeighborImpact Housing and Shelter Stabilization Program ($9,500), Redemption House Ministries ($4,000), Saving Grace ($5,000), Shepherd's House Ministries ($5,000), Thrive Central Oregon ($5,000), Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades ($6,000), and Warm Springs Community Action Team ($7,000).

When the pandemic hit, United Way of Central Oregon rapidly shifted gears.

First, the nonprofit focused on emergency needs and established its Central Oregon COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, quickly raising and distributing $135,000 to 29 local and regional nonprofits that were providing essential services and meeting the emergency needs of our community’s hardest hit as the pandemic first started.

Then, United Way pivoted towards ongoing needs that members of our community and the agencies that serve them are facing in adapting to the pandemic by forming its Central Oregon COVID-19 Recovery & Resilience Fund, from which this latest $160,000 was distributed. Knowing that community crises often disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and other marginalized groups, this funding prioritizes efforts that attend to racial and other inequities.

Thus far, United Way has awarded $295,000 to 44 local nonprofit programs as part of its COVID-19 Emergency Response, Recovery & Resilience efforts. These are United Way’s COVID-19 Partners.

About United Way:

The nonprofit recently changed its name from United Way of Deschutes County to United Way of Central Oregon. The change reflects the regional catchment area that the organization has been serving for several years. The organization’s influence touches all of Central Oregon: Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties, as well as the lands of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. As the most reliable agency with capacity to reach our most marginalized community members and a community leader with a deep and longstanding familiarity of agencies serving Central Oregon’s most vulnerable, United Way of Central Oregon has emerged as a clearinghouse for COVID-19 donations in our region. United Way of Central Oregon has been in existence in our region for 67 year, fighting for the health, education, financial stability, and resilience of every person in our community. New name. Same venerable organization. Learn more and give at unitedwaycentraloregon.org.