Coronavirus fund awards $60,000 in grants to Elgin nonprofits
A COVID-19 response fund created to help Elgin nonprofit groups announced its second and final round of grant funding Thursday.
The Elgin Covid Response Fund steering committee awarded grants totaling $60,000 to 11 local organizations. The approved grant requests will allow the groups to provide direct financial assistance to families in Elgin.
Grants awarded to Community Crisis Center, Centro de Información, Association for Individual Development, Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project, Society of St. Vincent DePaul Conference of St. Thomas More/St. Laurence, and St. Mary's Conference of St. Vincent DePaul will help provide assistance with housing and utilities.
Food for Greater Elgin and Youth Leadership Academy were provided grants to help clients with food and groceries. The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin was awarded a grant for child care assistance, and Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley was awarded a grant to assist clients with medical needs.
"This second grant will help us deal with the wildly fluctuating costs of food that we have purchased in order to meet the needs of people who come to our pantry for assistance," said Michael Montgomery, executive director at Food for Greater Elgin. "We primarily rely upon donated food from area merchants and the Northern Illinois Food Bank, but with the disruption to the supply chain and changing governmental support systems, our food costs have grown dramatically."
Cathy Russell, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Elgin, said the organization will use the funds to help with fees associated with remote learning centers. Money will be disbursed to families based on income level so that those who need relief the most will receive the most help.
After handing out almost $90,000 during the first round of funding in July, the relief fund has distributed nearly $150,000 to help those in need in the Elgin community during the pandemic. The committee did not release the amounts of each award but said during the application process awards would range from $500 to $7,500.
The fund was created in May through a partnership that included the Grand Victoria Foundation, United Way of Metro Chicago, the Seigle Family Foundation, the Wisdom Family Foundation, the Hoffer Family Foundation, the Kaptain Family Trust and the city of Elgin.
The fund was initially seeded with $150,000, including a $50,000 contribution by the city and individual donations, according to city spokeswoman Molly Gillespie.
"To all who contributed and joined this effort, from the family foundations to the small businesses, to the individuals and families who gave what they could to help others, thank you for your generosity," Mayor David Kaptain said in a news release.