Community
HEROES S tep p ing Up i n T i mes of N eed
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s the world turned upside down and so many people were forced to leave work and shelter in place due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the Northwest Florida community was no exception. Restaurants, beaches, and attractions along the Gulf Coast shut down in March of 2020, the time when they would normally be preparing for a busy spring break season. Schools and day cares closed, and parents became teaching assistants as children took on the daunting task of distance learning. Unemployment spiked to its highest level in decades as businesses
shuttered their doors for the sake of public safety. But amid all the chaos, the region’s heroes—nonprofits, charitable organizations, volunteers, first responders, and health-care workers—rose to the challenge. These are just a few of the incredible people and organizations making a difference in our communities year-round!
UNITED WAY OF THE EMERALD COAST United Way Emerald Coast released its third phase of grant money totaling $70,000 to fifteen nonprofit organizations in Okaloosa and Walton Counties; the distributions came from the organization’s COVID-19 relief fund. Since United Way began the COVID-19 relief grant process, it has provided a total of $140,000 to nineteen vetted local nonprofits. United Way works with hundreds of partners to fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in those counties. The COVID-19 relief grants help support nonprofits who provide housing assistance, utility assistance, health care, child care, and food security to working households negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. “Because of the sudden economic impacts of COVID-19, many hardworking local households are still struggling to make ends meet,” says United Way CEO Kelly Jasen. “Our nonprofit partners are trying to do all they can to rise to the challenge of these uncertain times. We are proud to support their efforts—and thousands of local families—with these COVID-19 relief grants. We are incredibly grateful for the corporate partners, individual donors, and volunteers who are stepping up to help our community address these unprecedented needs. Because of these partnerships, Phase Three funds were allocated to fifteen vetted nonprofits supporting the people who were hit the hardest by this pandemic.” United-Way.org/relief
146 | JULY 2020
