The Henry County Community Foundation (the Foundation) board of directors has created a COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund to provide immediate funds to nonprofit organizations and local government efforts to help with relief in response to the current pandemic.

Money for this fund comes from the Choose Henry Flex Fund for community grants and donations from citizens who can donate online at https://www.henrycountycf.org/giving/donate-online/ to the COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund.  All donations stay locally to help Henry County and residents to get through the crisis created by the pandemic.

“Our approach to community needs include Response, Recovery and Resilience through this period of fighting the virus, recovering from the virus when the economy reopens, and also to help with resilience, returning to some normalcy later.  We want to also be better prepared for the possibility of another wave or emergency,” said Beverly Matthews, Executive Director of the Foundation.

The Henry County Community Foundation has donated Rapid Response Grants to the following:

• $2,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank, serves local food pantries & provides tailgate food distribution
• $2,000 to Southwest District Ambulance, frontline responders to southwest Henry County
• $2,000 to New Castle Schools for E-Learning teaching supplies for semester completion
• $4,000 to Emergency Management Office – secure generator power during power outages
• $4,000 to Henry County Henry County Health Dept. – secures & connects to EMO during power outages

The Foundation has reached out to local 501c3 nonprofits, schools and frontline emergency entities who are dealing with immediate needs and invited them to apply for a grant.  Qualified nonprofit organizations can now apply for grants in the amounts of $1,000 to $2,000 if needed at https://www.henrycountycf.org/grants/.  Click on “Rapid Response Emergency Grants” and follow the link to the online application via the “Apply” button.

Please keep in mind:

1. The request is time-sensitive in nature and could not have been predicted or reasonably planned for; and
2. The request is made to support a true community emergency in the event of a declared disaster by state or federal government

While the Foundation office is currently closed, staff is working from home and taking care of business. If you need to contact us, call the office at 765-529-2235 and leave a message or email Director of Grants, Erin Riggle, at erin@henrycountycf.org