Together. Stronger

RCCF supported Lancaster Community Library’s weekly Storytime at the Park, as part of the library’s summer reading program.

RCCF provided additional funding to the Northern Neck – Middlesex Free Health Clinic for increased health care needs of residents in Lancaster, Northumberland and Middlesex Counties.

Together. Stronger.

In mid-March 2020, the world as we knew it came to a halt. The COVID-19 pandemic was front page news, and across the Commonwealth, cities and counties were enforcing lockdowns, schools were closing, businesses were shuttered, and life was turned upside down.

One week prior, the River Counties Community Foundation(RCCF) saw the coming need and quickly responded by establishing the River Counties COVID-19 Response Fund to support the immediate needs and long term economic recovery efforts in Lancaster, Middlesex, and Northumberland counties, recovery efforts which are still going, more than one year since the start of the pandemic.

“It was hard to predict the full impact COVID-19 would have in our region and beyond,” said foundation director Margaret Nost. “That is why the River Counties COVID-19 Response Fund was designed to address both urgent and immediate needs, as well as the long term effects once our community began to recover.”

The fund comprised a coalition of philanthropic, business and community members joining to ensure that resources were available to help local nonprofit and government organizations meeting the critical needs of the most vulnerable residents on the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. RCCF combined funds from its annual

RCCF supported general operating needs of Healthy Harvest Food Bank, allowing them to purchase additional food to meet the increased need of local residents.

fundraising campaign Together. Stronger. with additional unrestricted funding from the foundation’s Community Impact grant cycle with gifts from private foundations and community donors to support the Response Fund.

“We anticipated the needs would be many, and while RCCF was positioned well to respond with grant funding, we knew it would take the entire community coming together to provide the resources necessary to face the challenge head on,” said Carolyn Norton Schmalenberger, RCCF Advisory Board Chair.

Focusing on the most critical needs of Children and Families, Emergency Services, Food Security, Health Care, and Housing, RCCF distributed over $1.1 million to 66 nonprofits and other agencies working to serve area residents.

“We could not have done this work without the generosity of our donors, past and present,” said grants officer Lincoln Boykin. “The philanthropic legacies of our donors who have passed on will forever be associated with the COVID-19 Response Fund. And even in the most uncertain times, our current donors stepped in and contributed to the Response Fund, as well, ensuring key organizations were supported as they worked to provide food, shelter, health care, childcare and hope to our friends and neighbors in greatest need.”

RCCF provided funding to support the Boys and Girls Club and YMCA’s virtual education support programs, which are ongoing while area schools are in a hybrid learning format.