Community Foundation announces new round of grants

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-The Idaho Community Foundation (ICF) has announced a new round of grant awards under the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

Nearly $600,000 has been awarded to organizations that are helping low-income individuals and families.

During the second week, the east and southeast Idaho grant awards totaled about $300,000, including:

Aid for Friends – $20,000 to provide housing for unsheltered homeless, rental assistance to people facing eviction; furnishings, household items, cleaning supplies and food for people who are moving out of the emergency shelter or are currently living on the streets; personal protective equipment including masks, gloves, thermometers, first aid medical supplies, disinfectants and cleaning supplies; direct costs and indirect costs associated with administering the housing placement program and staffing needs at the shelter and the administration office in Bannock County.
Mission statement: Aid For Friends works to provide emergency shelter, housing programs and other supportive services to promote stability for individuals and families facing or experiencing homelessness.

Bingham County Senior Center – $15,000 to purchase raw food for meal preparation, gasoline for meal delivery and some overhead costs associated with remaining open to assist those in need.
Mission statement: To enhance the quality of life for seniors and others in our community through nutrition, housing, education and social opportunities.

Gate City Christian Church – $2,000 to purchase gravity conveyors to allow volunteers to pack and move boxes efficiently. Some funding may also be used to purchase freezer blankets and coolers, to maintain food at safe temperatures during outdoor distributions as the weather warms.
Mission statement: Providing safe, high quality nutrition to food insecure families in Southeast Idaho.

Senior West of the Tetons – $5,000 for groceries, salaries and utilities as the organization continues to provide meals and other items to the area's seniors. Mission statement: To provide health, nutrition and social connections for seniors in Teton Valley, Idaho and Wyoming.

Upper Valley Child Advocacy Center – $500 to purchase bottled water, disposable cutlery and containers, napkins, paper towels and individual meals that can be cooked in a microwave for hungry children and their families in Bonneville, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison and Teton counties.
Mission statement: To meet the needs of children and families in our community by providing a child-focused center that is dedicated to healing, understanding, and belief by using a collaborative approach to the identification, prevention, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse.

Valley Mission – $3,875 to purchase meat, milk, eggs and other protein items, in addition to canned and boxed goods available through The Idaho Foodbank's Power of Purchase program.
Mission statement: To restore hope to hurting people with the power of God's love. We do this by providing, coordinating and delivering an efficient system of care for people experiencing poverty and homelessness in Bannock County.

Two organizations received grants for their statewide efforts:

American Red Cross of Greater Idaho – $25,000 to ensure it has enough workers and resources to collect vital blood products, and to create a public awareness and targeted outreach campaign to remind the public about the importance of donating blood.
Mission statement: The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

The Idaho Foodbank – $25,000 to increase food distribution by 30 percent, keep community pantries and school pantries stocked and open, adopt a prepared food box model for Mobile Pantries and provide emergency food boxes to vulnerable populations.
Mission statement: to help feed, educate, and advocate for Idaho's hungry through a network of collaborative partnerships and develop efficient solutions to strengthen individuals, families and communities.

The COVID-19 Fund for Idaho received significant support from foundations, companies and individuals throughout Idaho. Lead Funding Partners are: M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, the Micron Foundation and Micron's Boise team members, Wells Fargo Foundation and Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health.

The emergency fund includes several groups, including the Idaho Community Foundation, Idaho Nonprofit Center, and United Way agencies across the state including the United Way of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County, and United Way of Southeastern Idaho.

The grant applications are reviewed by a Rapid Response Team and approved by a steering committee comprised of local community members, with final approval by the ICF Board Executive Committee.

Look here for more information on how to make a donation.