It has been three weeks since Connecticut Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Waterbury launched the COVID-19 Response Fund and it has already provided more than $180,000 for area soup kitchens, emergency food pantries, extra food and supplies at emergency shelters, food deliveries for seniors and families sheltering in place, and child-care services for frontline healthcare workers.

The fund is fueled by the Connecticut Community Foundation, the United Way of Greater Waterbury, and by donations and gifts from the community.

Here are a few of their donations to help the community through the crisis….

• Catholic Charities, Inc.: Waterbury Family Center Support for Basic Needs– $7,500 to support additional case management for families in need and to purchase gift cards for groceries.

• Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries: Soup Kitchen and Emergency Food Pantry– $8,500 to purchase take out containers for food distribution and support increased staff time and food costs.

• Greater Waterbury YMCA: Emergency Childcare Services – $11,060 to support the operation of the emergency childcare for first responders, which is not covered by state funding for childcare for medical personnel.

• New Opportunities, Inc.: NOI COVID-19 Community Engagement Fund- $7,345 to support Meals on Wheels drivers’ salaries, to allow for increased capacity to deliver meals to older adults and disabled residents.

• New Opportunities, Inc.: Meals on Wheels- Emergency Food Packs- $11,500 to purchase 500 five-day emergency food packs to be distributed through the Meals on Wheels food program.

• Police Activity League of Waterbury, Inc.: COVID-19 Volunteer Support- $1,000 to purchase gas cards for volunteers delivering food and other essential items to high-risk individuals.

• Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury, Inc.: Support for Shelter, Soup Kitchen, Pantry and Residential Services- $30,000 to support the cost of extra food and supplies at the shelter, soup kitchen and food pantry, the purchase of personal protective equipment and cleaning products for COVID-19 conditions, and additional staff and administrative expenses due to the crisis.

• Community Solutions: Waterbury Chase Residential Center– $5,000 to support supplies, food and other equipment needed to keep residents and staff safe during COVID-19.

• Connecticut Food Bank, Inc.: Supporting the Emergency Food Assistance Network– $10,000 to support additional food and supplies distribution, as well as staff time during COVID-19.

• Connecticut Renaissance: Waterbury Programs- $5,000 to support supplies, food and other equipment needed to keep residents and staff safe during COVID-19.

• Life in My Days: COVID-19 Mutual Aid Network– $4,000 to support the expansion of a Mutual Aid network in Waterbury and to provide direct assistance to families who are economically insecure due to COVID-19.

• Salvation Army: Meals for Shelter Guests during COVID-19– $8,120 to support the cost of four weeks of meals for families staying in the shelter during COVID-19.

• St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation: COVID-10 Medical Response Efforts- $5,000 to support the hospital’s COVID-19 response efforts.

• Wellmore, Inc.: Telehealth Start Up– $10,000 to support equipment, video conferencing and increased bandwidth to serve clients through telehealth.

• Western Connecticut Areas Agency on Aging: Emergency Senior Meals on Wheels– $5,000 to support the increased cost of meals and staffing during COVID-19 in the following towns: Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Cheshire, Goshen, Litchfield, Middlebury, Morris, Naugatuck, New Milford, Oxford, Plymouth, Prospect, Roxbury, Southbury, Thomaston, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott and Woodbury.

Pretty amazing. Thank you to the Connecticut Community Foundation, the United Way of Greater Waterbury, and all the generous souls who have donated in this time of crisis.”