We Help Each Other Here

The Coronavirus Response Fund

By Scott Berson

A community on lockdown. It’s not something we’re used to in Columbus. We’re a city that does things together, that gets out and makes things happen. This is new ground for us, and while the virus is scary, what may be more unsettling is the wave of complete uncertainty that has crashed over modern life. We’ve never had to do things like this before, and nobody is sure what the next few weeks or months are going to look like.

We’re still strong, though. We care about each other, and we’re going to carry the burden together – and that’s where the new Coronavirus Response Fund comes in. The program is a partnership between the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley and United Way, and it aims to rapidly raise funds and distribute them to local philanthropies to help those vulnerable, valuable members of our community who are hurting from the virus and all the measures we are putting in place to contain it.

“We are really proud to be partnered with United Way on this, we partner well in this community,” said Betsy Covington, CEO of the Community Foundation. “We came together last week realizing that this is something that was needed. We are transparent in telling people we don’t know what we know yet, and the beauty of contributing to a fund like this is we’re going to deploy these assets as flexibly as possible within our community.”

The plan is for the fund managers to work closely with government leaders, businesses and philanthropies to distribute resources to those affected by the pandemic.

“Charitable grants will fund organizations and programs that have deep roots in our community and strong experience working to provide residents with access to food, prescriptions/healthcare, childcare and basic needs. The Fund is designed to complement the work of local public health, nonprofit, and government entities, and to expand local capacity to support individuals and families experiencing hardship because of the outbreak and related closures and disruptions,” the fund’s description says.

Covington said the grants will work to address the needs of people who have suffered damage due to the loss of work and school and any issues related to increased healthcare demands. Decisions will be made internally about which organizations will receive grants, with as transparent a process as possible amidst the rapidlychanging situation on the ground.

“These are times we make the best decisions we have available with the information we have at the time. This is something I think all of us who work in philanthropy in our community are interested in, trying to find positive ways that people can respond to the needs of the most vulnerable. That definition is changing day to day as we see people whose jobs are being affected by this crisis,” she said.

Covington said she expected three phases to the pandemic: the current phase, a recovery phase and a rebuilding phase. Nobody knows what those phases are going to look like, but it’s nearly certain that many people will need support for the duration. “People may find themselves asking for help in ways they may never have had to ask for before,” she said.

The fund is not able to distribute funds to individuals, but dialing 211 will connect people with resources that may be of help to them. Individual philanthropies can also fill out a form on the Community Foundation website to describe how their organization is working to address the pandemic crisis.

Covington says that we should all remember to keep giving to the philanthropies we know and trust as well as to the fund, however. “Our goal is to help people respond in the fastest, most appropriate way possible,” she said. “Every nonprofit in this community is stressed right now. If there are organizations that people love, by all means continue this support. Now is a time when we need to be generous in ways we never knew before.”

As this thing continues to unfold, Columbus will be there for each other, for as long as it lasts. It’s the only way to do it.

“We believe that our community will get through this,” Covington said. “We may have tough times ahead of us, we don’t know. But we tend to do things together well and that’s going to be the secret to the recovery piece of this. Hang together, trust each other, and be extra patient and we’ll be okay.”

Donors can find out more information at cfcv.com/coronavirus or donate directly at cfcv.givingfuel.com/coronavirus.

“...dialing 211 will connect people with resources that may be of help to them.”