CFAAC Community Crisis Response Fund Awards $122,000 to Local Nonprofits in Response to COVID-19

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) recently distributed a second cycle of grants through its Community Crisis Response Fund. To date, CFAAC has distributed 58 grants totaling $122,000 to 47 local nonprofits providing funding for food security and support for basic human needs during the COVID-19 crisis.

CFAAC established the Community Crisis Response Fund in 2018 in order to react quickly and efficiently to unforeseen needs in the community during times of crisis. This Designated Fund provides flexible financial support to trusted nonprofit partners across Anne Arundel County who are responding to the most critical needs of our community. Currently, all funds raised through CFAAC's Community Crisis Response Fund are being used to meet the fast-emerging, immediate, and long-term needs posed by the COVID-19 virus.

CFAAC grants are made directly to organizations serving vulnerable and underserved populations of all ages. The most recent cycles of grantmaking have focused on food pantries and food distribution sites, shelters, immigrants, recently released hospital patients, persons with disabilities, persons who lack transportation, victims of domestic violence, and the recently unemployed. These areas of focus are in alignment with CFAAC funding priorities, as defined in the most recent Community Needs Assessment: Poverty Amongst Plenty VI, On the Road to Progress for All. See below for the list of second cycle grantees:

• Anne Arundel County Food Bank- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food to Anne Arundel County residents through the Emergency Pantry program.
• Arundel House of Hope- Grant to provide food, cleaning supplies, transportation assistance, and other needed items to extend the operation of the “Winter Shelter” which has remained open to serve homeless men and women during the pandemic.
• Bello Machre, Inc.- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food and essential items to maintain safe and healthy environments to Anne Arundel County clients who are developmentally disabled.
• Bemorecaring, Inc.- Project Helping the Homeless During COVID-19: Grant awarded to purchase and distribute essential items such as food, water, and toiletries to Anne Arundel County homeless residents.
• Be Rose International Foundation, Inc.- Project Lockdown-Stay at Home: Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food and essential items to maintain safe and healthy environments to low-income communities in Annapolis, Millersville, and Edgewater.
• Blessed in Tech Ministries, Inc.- Project Men on a Mission: Grant awarded to purchase and distribute essential items such as food, prescriptions, transportation assistance, and items to maintain safe and healthy environments to Anne Arundel County residents.
• Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation- Grant awarded for the ‘Feed Anne Arundel’ program to purchase and distribute food to Anne Arundel County residents. ‘Feed Anne Arundel’ is a collaboration between the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT), Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families, and Anne Arundel County restaurants.
• Center of Help, Inc.- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food and essential items to maintain safe and healthy environments to immigrant families living in Anne Arundel County through the organization’s COVID-19 Basic Needs Emergency Grant Program.
• Child Hunger Outreach Partners- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food to Anne Arundel County children and their families through the organization’s Emergency Feeding Program.
• Creating Communities- Grant awarded to provide fresh produce boxes to a minimum of 25 families per week from low-income households in the City of Annapolis for at least four weeks.
• Downtown Hope- Project COVID-19 Love Annapolis: Grant to purchase and distribute essential items such as food, formula, diapers, medicine, transportation assistance, and items to maintain safe and healthy environments to Anne Arundel County residents.
• Harvest Resources in Anne Arundel Co.- Project COVID-19 Curbside Pantry: Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food to Anne Arundel County residents.
• Helping Hands of America, Inc.- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute essential items such as food, formula, diapers, transportation assistance, and items to maintain safe and healthy environments to North Anne Arundel County children and their families through the organization’s Mobile Emergency Baby and Children's Pantry.
• He Opens Paths to Everyone, Inc.- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute diapers and wipes for the increasing number of Anne Arundel County families struggling economically.
• Langton Green, Inc.- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute essential items to maintain safe and healthy environments, specifically cleaning and hygiene supplies, to Anne Arundel County residents who are intellectually and developmentally disabled.
• Lutheran Mission Society of Maryland- Project Annapolis Compassion Center Food Distribution: Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food to Anne Arundel County residents.
• Maryland Association of Social Services Boards Foundation (MASSB Foundation)- Project Helping the Elderly Remain in their Homes: Grant awarded to purchase and distribute critical medical equipment, dental services, prescription co-pays, transportation assistance, and items to maintain safe and healthy environments to vulnerable Anne Arundel County seniors.
• My Life Foundation, Inc.- Project Support Food and Basic Needs for the Asian American Community: Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food and essential items to maintain safe and healthy environments to Anne Arundel County residents.
• New Life Fellowship International Ministries- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute essential items such as food, formula, diapers, medicine, transportation assistance, and items to maintain safe and healthy environments to Anne Arundel County residents through the organization’s ‘New Life Emergency Supply Program’.
• Opportunities Builders, Inc.- Grant awarded to provide transportation assistance to Anne Arundel County residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who work at essential jobs and who otherwise would not be able to get to work.
• Orphan Grain Train, Maryland Chapter- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute critical medical equipment for Anne Arundel County residents.
• Pennies from Angels, Inc.- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food and essential items to maintain safe and healthy environments to Anne Arundel County residents.
• Providence Center, Inc.- Grant awarded to provide transportation assistance to Anne Arundel County residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who work at essential jobs and who otherwise would not be able to get to work.
• SheRises, Inc.- Project Emergency Baby Depot: Grant awarded to purchase and distribute essential items such as food, formula, diapers, medicine, transportation assistance, and items to maintain safe and healthy environments to Anne Arundel County residents.
• Walk the Walk Foundation- Project LOVE AACO: Grant awarded to purchase and distribute essential items such as food, formula, diapers, medicine, transportation assistance, and items to maintain safe and healthy environments to Anne Arundel County residents.
• We Care and Friends- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food through the organization’s bagged food program for Anne Arundel County residents.
• Y in Central Maryland- Grant awarded to purchase and distribute food to their students and their families at the Freetown Head Start center in Pasadena and the Mead Village Head Start center in Severn.

“Donors to CFAAC’s Community Crisis Response Fund can feel really good about the difference they are making in the lives of individuals and families in our community. Hundreds of people are receiving essential services through these grants and we feel so grateful to be able to help when we hear the stories that nonprofits share with us about the impact this funding is having in their communities,” said Mary Spencer, President and CEO of CFAAC. “There are overwhelming needs in our community, and CFAAC is committed to doing all we can to tackle them, thanks to the generosity of those who are able to help.”

Those wishing to contribute can:

• Make a secure, tax-deductible online donation through www.cfaac.org.
• Mail a check payable to “CFAAC” with “Community Crisis Response Fund” in the memo line to: 914 Bay Ridge Road, Ste 220, Annapolis, MD, 21403.
• Donate stock by contacting Taylor Milbradt at Taylor@cfaac.org
• Make a grant recommendation from a Donor Advised Fund at CFAAC using the FundManager portal or by contacting Kristen Krall at Kristen@cfaac.org.