covid-19 impact fund
Thank you for visiting our COVID-19 Impact Fund page. This fund is no longer active at this time. If you would like to make a monetary donation to United Way, please visit uwstark.org/give .
We are doing our best to mitigate the immediate impact of the pandemic, and looking for ways to respond, recover and rebuild our community.
January 8, 2021
Hopeful New Beginnings - A letter from Maria Heege:
As we begin a new year, I’ve spent some time reflecting on the past year. There’s no doubt that we’ve faced challenges – individually, organizationally and as a community. From those challenges we’ve seen change, perseverance, growth and humbling generosity. In the coming weeks and months, you’ll hear more about the past year as well as what’s to come in 2021. Today I want to highlight one specific initiative that started amid chaos as a way to offer stability. We had no idea the ultimate hope it would offer in a year of uncertainty for so many.
The COVID-19 Impact Fund was created at the start of the pandemic to provide the most basic of needs to families in our community – shelter. The fund provided rent or mortgage assistance to individuals who had been affected by job loss or a reduction in hours due to the pandemic to ensure they could stay safely sheltered.
Recently, we distributed 100% of the nearly $450,000 raised from that fund. While we continue to look for additional funding opportunities for the COVID-19 Impact Fund, and accept donations to it, I wanted to share a year-end update with you of what you’ve made possible.
UPDATE
UPDATE: Lacking community donations, funding for the COVID-19 Impact Fund has been depleted and we are unable to complete any additional requests for rent/mortgage or utility payments as of December 22.
We are doing our best to mitigate the immediate impact of the pandemic, and looking for ways to respond, recover and rebuild our community.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
As coronavirus reverberates across hospitals, offices, schools, and homes, we are reminded of our most basic shared value. We know that all of us depend on each other for a healthy community. The same priority guides our concern for those most economically vulnerable in a pandemic. This includes the families of hospitality, retail and other hourly workers, among others.
The Need
Many workers are experiencing unprecedented financial hardship. The problem is acute for hospitality workers, retail workers, and other hourly workers, many living paycheck to paycheck, with no clear options for recouping lost wages.
Response
United Way of Greater Stark County's COVID-19 Impact Fund is a dedicated resource for working families affected by the pandemic. We mobilize these funds to help provide families' basic needs during the pandemic.
If you would like to send in a check instead of donating online, please make the check out to United Way of Greater Stark County COVID-19 Impact Fund.
MESSAGE FROM UNITED WAY TEAM
Our number one priority is the safety and well-being of our staff, volunteers, agency partners, and the community we serve.
United Way's internal team is assessing the situation daily and following all recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Health Services.
Agency partners: Please keep us informed of any program challenges that may result from this situation. Our team is here to help and will continue reaching out with ongoing updates.
Donors and partner businesses: We appreciate your continued investment in United Way's work to drive strategic impact in the health, education, and financial stability of everyone in our community.
UPDATE REGARDING SERVICES
- If you are in need of emergency services, please call 9-1-1.
You can call Ohio's Coronavirus contact number for more information: 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634)
Important links regarding the virus: