Arlington Community Foundation Distributes $300,000 to Local Charities

The Arlington Community Foundation has provided more than $300,000 in emergency support this week, as the coronavirus crisis deepens.

The distribution of funds comes after the nonprofit refocused its Prompt Response Fund to support other local nonprofit organizations that can provide emergency food supplies to those in need, healthcare for the uninsured or underinsured, and support for hourly workers who have been laid off or furloughed.

The Arlington Community Foundation recently received a $1 million grant from Amazon, with $350,000 earmarked specifically for use in Arlington and the rest to be spent around the region in other community foundations. The Arlington-based Washington Forrest Foundation has contributed 25 percent of each grant awarded by the Arlington Community Foundation.

The largest amount, $25,000, went to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). AFAC has been on the frontlines of the pandemic, trying to get food and supplies to an increasing number of Arlingtonians without an income to pay for groceries.

“We heard loud and clear from our nonprofit partners that they needed to get funds into the hands of the helpers in our community quickly, as this is a time of exceptional need for our neighbors who are experiencing job loss and other crisis situations,” said Arlington Community Foundation CEO and President Jennifer Owens said in the press release. “Our network of nonprofit safety net providers has responded quickly, as have the many generous people in our community who have pitched in to help with contributions of time, talent, and treasure. We owed it to them to move swiftly to support their efforts.”

Owens said the Arlington Community Foundation is continuing to review requests daily and sending awards by direct deposit.

“As the community needs evolve, I’m confident our use of the funds will evolve to meet those needs,” Owens said. “We continue to receive worthy applications as fast as we can respond, and we hope that businesses and individuals will continue to view the Prompt Response Fund as a way to effectively support the nonprofits who are providing crucial support for Arlington’s most vulnerable residents.”

Donations can be made online to the Prompt Response Fund.

The full list of recipients is below, after the jump.

• Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC): $25,000
• Arlington Free Clinic: $5,000 for initial emergency assistance to the Free Clinic to respond to the crisis
• VHC Pediatrics (Arlington Pediatric Center): $5,000 for emergency assistance to the VHC Pediatric clinic serving low-income children
• Views at Clarendon: $5,000 for rental assistance and emergency support for residents
• Capital Caring Health: $20,000 to expand “care 1” teams and support to care at home, hospice, and advanced Illness programs; and to deploy telehealth remote patient monitors in homes
• AHC Inc.: $20,000 to cover residents’ emergency needs such as groceries, diapers and other supplies with maximum flexibility
• Shirlington Employment and Education Center: $10,000 to provide rental assistance and meals purchased from local Latino restaurants to SEEC’s day laborers
• Wesley Housing Development Corporation: $20,000 for supplemental food and emergency supply needs of the low-income residents
• A-SPAN: $20,000 for additional food purchases for increased meal demand, and emergency nursing & medical supplies
• Our Lady Queen of Peace Church: $10,000 to support the food pantry
• St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church: $10,000 to augment church’s financial assistance program, which helps Arlington residents to pay rent and utilities
• YMCA of Metropolitan Washington: $10,000 to purchase food and basic household needs for families
• Edu-Futuro: $20,000 for rent and food relief to Latino and immigrant families in Arlington
• Arlington Thrive: $20,000 for increased and emerging financial needs, including food assistance
• Volunteers of America Chesapeake: $10,000 to purchase sanitation and cleaning supplies, food, personal protection equipment, over-the-counter medications/medical supplies, and personal hygiene supplies/toiletries
• APAH: $20,000 to provide financial assistance to residents, food and other emergency purchases
• Arlington Neighborhood Village: $5,000 to provide emergency supplies including food for low-income seniors
• Bridges to Independence: $10,000 to provide families in shelter & Rapid Rehousing program, with cleaning & personal supplies, groceries; also food for pantry, application fees for apartments, and holding fees to landlords
• Phoenix Houses of the Mid-Atlantic, Inc.: $20,000 to fund the Patient Assistance Fund, covering costs for patients when insurance/personal funds do not completely cover the full course of their prescribed treatment
• Ethiopian Community Development Council: $20,000 to provide rental assistance to Arlington resident clients in need of immediate help
• Culpepper Gardens: $10,000 to cover food & transportation needs of assisted-living residents; additional personal protective & technology equipment
• Bonder & Amanda Johnson Community Development Co.: $10,000 to support Green Valley community residents with emergency assistance for rent, food and supply purchases as well as to provide emergency medical transportation service

Photo via AFAC/Facebook