LEWISTON, ME – May 6, 2020 – As the COVID-19 crisis continues to impact local nonprofit organizations, United Way of Androscoggin County is responding by providing funding to help meet the unprecedented need for support services. In the second round of COVID-19 response funding, United Way provided $20,700 to 14 agencies in Androscoggin and Oxford County.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unanticipated economic hardships for many people in our community, which is putting additional strain on agencies already operating on shoestring budgets,” said Joleen Bedard, United Way of Androscoggin County Executive Director. “United Way is providing funding to alleviate that strain and ensure no one in our community goes without the essential services they need.”
Grant recipients from the second round of funding include:
- Andover Food Pantry
- Bread of Life Food Pantry
- Community Concepts
- Grampa’s Food Pantry
- Greene Baptist Church
- Leeds Food Pantry
- Legal Services for the Elderly
- New Beginnings
- Rumford Group Home
- Rural Community Action Ministry
- Safe Voices
- Sumner Food Bank
- Trinity Jubilee Center
- YWCA of Central Maine
“People from all walks of life come to us asking for food: children who used to eat free lunches at school, people laid off from jobs in hotel housekeeping, education, and food service, veterans, elderly people, and people with disabilities,” said Erin Reed, executive director of Trinity Jubilee Center in Lewiston. “We spent more on food in the first month of the pandemic than we had in the last six months combined! We are very grateful for this United Way funding!”
Local businesses and private donors are continuing to contribute to the COVID-19 Response Fund, allowing United Way of Androscoggin County to provide multiple rounds of funding to meet the ongoing needs of our community. Applications for the third round of funding will be accepted until May 14. Agencies wishing to apply for funding can find the application at https://www.unitedwayandro.org/covid-19-response-fund-agency-application.
For more information about the Androscoggin and Oxford County COVID-19 Response Fund or to donate, please visit https://www.unitedwayandro.org/covid-19-response-information.
