COMMUNITY
United Way, Community Foundation join forces to form COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund
Community Foundation of Washington County (CFWC) and United Way of Washington County staff members include, from left, Tim Luipersbeck, (CFWC); Jocelyn Hauer, (UWWC), Heather Guessford, (UWWC), Allison Dillow, (UWWC) and Stacey Crawford, (CFWC).
written by MEG H. PARTINGTON Submitted photos When the effects of the coronavirus reached Washington County, organizations that regularly provide financial, nutritional and housing support to the community immediately turned into command centers for distributing funds, food and protective gear. “Overnight, our numbers doubled, then tripled, then quadrupled,”Amy Olack, CEO of the Washington County Commission on Aging, said of those needing meal assistance. Government restrictions on the number of people gathering to prevent the spread of COVID-19 meant the closure of the seven congregate sites operated by the commission on aging, where many seniors gather to dine. And those who received Meals on Wheels still needed their deliveries. Meanwhile, youths were suffering when schools, recreation centers and places of worship were closed. “We saw … the kids needed some hope,” said Scott Myers, area director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for Western Maryland and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.“They needed something good to happen in their life. They were hurting emotionally, they were hurting spiritually.”
Heather Guessford, president and CEO, United Way of Washington County, prepares to distribute food during a drive-by distribution program.
Countless pleas for aid were heard loud and clear by the Community Foundation of Washington County MD Inc. and the United Way of Washington County. “We both knew we wanted to help, but we didn’t know where to start,” said Heather Guessford, president and CEO of the United Way, explaining that the organizations have only about four employees each. Those working with the United Way knew areas most impacted by the pandemic and had what the leader of the community foundation called “boots on the ground” — contact with groups that distribute food and vital supplies. The foundation, meanwhile, has access to big donors, and is focused on promoting philanthropy and being a diligent steward of funding in the community.
