FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2020
Contact: Jennifer S. Sexton
Collective Impact Consultant
United Way of Charlotte County
941-740-1903
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL – United Way of Charlotte County (UWCC) is pleased to announce it has received a $25,000 grant from the Charlotte Community Foundation. These funds will support the general operating expenses of UWCC as an extension of relief due to the impacts of COVID-19.
“United Way of Charlotte County is thrilled to receive this generous grant to support ongoing work being done to respond to COVID-19 in our community,” said Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director of United Way of Charlotte County. “Our team never hesitated to dive in and support our community, and we are grateful to be recognized for that.”
As one of the sponsors of the Charlotte County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD), UWCC took the lead on a task force representing local youth and education needs at the onset of COVID-19. Collaborative efforts to identify and address the urgent needs of families with school-age children are spearheaded through this task force, with UWCC at the reins.
Additionally, serving as the fiscal agent for Season of Sharing (SOS) for the past twenty years, UWCC was able to serve those effected by COVID-19 with rent, mortgage and utility assistance. So far this year, UWCC has administered over $336,502 SOS funds for COVID-19 relief.
Charlotte County provided support to nonprofits that offered community services related to coronavirus pandemic relief with money it received though the CARES Act this year. Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding was announced in August and a portion of these funds were available for nonprofits to reimburse and fund service and program delivery.
CARES Act proposals for nonprofits were reviewed by a committee of members of the county commission’s Community Action Agency Advisory Board, Charlotte Community Foundation and United Way of Charlotte County, the latter two agencies were subsequently ineligible for CARES Act relief funds.
Charlotte Community Foundation, also a sponsor of the Charlotte County COAD and Financial Assistance Task Force lead, recognized the uncompensated, but intensified, work being done by UWCC to support the community at the height of the coronavirus. “As backbone agencies, both of our organizations advocated for the local nonprofits to receive CARES Act funds,” said Ashley Maher, Executive Director of the Charlotte Community Foundation. “This made United Way of Charlotte County ineligible for this same funding, while still being deserving of relief.”
“The Charlotte Community Foundation’s role is to respond to the needs of our community by deploying resources available while positioning ourselves in a leadership role that allows both convening and collaboration between community organizations and community members to take place. We understood the importance of UWCC being able to continue their work in breaking the cycle of poverty, now more than ever. When UWCC became ineligible to receive CARES Act funding as such was the same for CCF, we felt this grant was appropriate in collaboratively supporting their mission. CCF has a strong stance on seeing all community members being afforded the opportunity to thrive equally and this cannot happen without providing support and resources to our partner agencies. We are proud of this grant and look forward to seeing the impact it will have on Charlotte County”, stated Maher.
The funds will be used to compensate for general operating costs expended during the height of the pandemic crisis.
About United Way Charlotte County
United Way of Charlotte County mobilizes the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty by bringing together local agencies, corporations, donors, volunteers and government to create lasting social change. Our work and our investments stay right here, supporting thousands of people every year. For more information about United Way Charlotte County, please visit UnitedWayccfl.org, or call 941-627-3539.
About Charlotte Community Foundation
Charlotte Community Foundation, Inc. As the Center for Philanthropy in Charlotte County, the Foundation focuses exclusively on the needs of Charlotte County. Providing more than $1.2 million dollars through grant making in 2019 alone, the Foundation provides personalized Donor services to assist individuals in establishing tax advantageous charitable funds, which provide distributions, grants and other resources to support nonprofits in Charlotte County. The Foundation’s mission is “Connecting people who care with causes that matter”. For more information or for questions about the Charlotte Community Foundation, please go to www.charlottecf.org or call (941) 637-0077.