Need financial help because of coronavirus safety measures? Apply to the Thurston fund
The local organizations that launched the “Thurston County COVID-19 Response Fund” are hard at work monitoring community needs and coordinating where the pool of money will be spent.
First, that meant keeping tabs on local nonprofits with surging demands; now, the fund is also accepting requests from individuals struggling economically due to the outbreak and resulting closures.
The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound and United Way of Thurston County (UWTC) partnered to launch the relief fund about two weeks ago. By Thursday, its balance had reached about $345,000 in donations and pledges, according to Chris Wells, executive director of UWTC.
Local governments have contributed funding, along with individuals, businesses, and foundations.
The two organizations surveyed local nonprofits to learn which have had to scale up operations to respond to COVID-19, Wells said, and Senior Services for South Sound’s Meals on Wheels program was the first to receive emergency funding.
Impacts to the program, which delivers packages with seven meals to seniors once per week, are coming from multiple directions.
Seniors, who make up the program’s clientele and many of its volunteers, are at higher risk for severe illness due to COVID-19. Many of its clients who are otherwise independent are sheltering in place for fear for their lives, says Brian Windrope, executive director of Senior Services for South Sound.
The organization typically hosts donation-optional, group meals at multiple locations across Thurston and Mason counties, but those meals aren’t happening because of restrictions on group gatherings. Senior Services is calling those who usually attend, Windrope said, to check in and ask, among other questions, whether they’d now like to be part of the Meals on Wheels program.
Windrope expects weekly demand for meals to double from 700 to 1,400 in the next three weeks.
Meanwhile, the organization’s revenues have dropped 50% due to the halt of its paid programs, Windrope said. And food donations from grocery stores and bakeries that usually make up the meals have dried up, too, due to high demand and hoarding.
With demand up and revenue down, funding from the relief fund is helping Senior Services purchase food for the meals and keep paying food-production staff.
“The bottom line is, we don’t have the funding to keep people employed without help,” Windrope said.
Another example of how the fund can help: Thurston County Food Bank has lost volunteers, many of whom are seniors. Wells said UWTC and the Community Foundation reached out to the Olympia Downtown Association, which in turn reached out to restaurant owners to connect with food-service workers who’ve been laid off due to closures.
Those workers are now applying for temporary positions at the food bank that are paid for by the COVID-10 Response Fund, Wells said. The food bank doesn’t have to train or certify new people, since they’ve already been in the food service industry, and the workers don’t have to go without income.
Other money has gone toward hygiene and sanitation supplies for Interfaith Works, and bulk-purchasing supplies such as baby formula and diapers for drop-off at the homes of the Nurse-Family Partnership program’s clients, most of whom are low- and no-income mothers.
“We’re basically building the ship as it flies,” Wells said.
Wells said donations are still needed.
“Things are going to get harder before they get better, and we want our community to have hope and to stick together,” she said. “That’s how we’re going to get through this.”
How to request help
Residents of Thurston County who want to request emergency assistance with rent, child care, and other basic needs can call the Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays at 360-438-1100 or 800-878-5235.
As of Thursday evening, there had been 71 requests for individual assistance, according to Wells.
How to donate
One-time and recurring donations to the fund can be made online: https://securepayment.link/unitedwayofthurstoncounty/. Gifts also can be mailed to UWTC, 3525 Seventh Ave. SW, Suite 201, Olympia WA 98502.
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