<h2><b>$158,050 awarded to 11 nonprofit organizations</b></h2>
<b>From staff reports</b>

The first series of grants from the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s Lowcountry Community COVID-19 Response Fund have been awarded to 11 local nonprofit organizations.

The fund was established in mid-March to deploy resources to nonprofits in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties that are addressing critical and immediate needs of those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

An advisory board, with representatives from each of the four counties, reviewed grant requests and will continue to review them on a regular basis. Initial grants from the fund total $158,050 and include:

<b>Antioch Education Center: </b>to purchase food to be distributed to Jasper County families through the food banks operated by Antioch Education Center and/or with backpacks to Jasper County School District students during 2020 spring break.

<b>Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry: </b>to provide funding for supplies and program staff to support the Grab-and-Go program, in April and May, for students in Northern Beaufort County.

<b>Bluffton Self Help: </b>to provide food and/or housing for clients impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

<b>HELP of Beaufort: </b>to purchase food and provide for housing-related hardships for the increased number of clients caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

<b>Neighborhood Outreach Connection: </b>to pay landlords on behalf of individual low-income tenant families in jeopardy of eviction as a result of COVID-19 related unemployment in the neighborhoods Neighborhood Outreach Connection serves.

<b>The Hilton Head Island Deep Well Project: </b>to fund mortgage/rental assistance needs of clients, including food and beverage employees who have lost employment, directly relating to COVID-19.

<b>Hopeful Horizons:</b> to transport, feed and/or shelter abuse victims as needed in our Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties.

<b>Lowcountry Food Bank:</b> to purchase additional food required as a result of COVID-19 to supply to partner agencies which are experiencing increased need.

<b>St. Stephens Outreach Foodbank: </b>to purchase food for clients in Jasper County and fuel to transport food because of substantial increased need due to COVID-19.

<b>Sandalwood Community Food Pantry: </b>to purchase food and to purchase supplies to ensure the safety of volunteers and clients.

<b>Second Helpings: </b>to employ displaced food and beverage workers to deliver food to agencies, filling the gap caused by volunteers who can no longer serve due to age or health-related vulnerability to COVID-19.
<h4>How can I help?</h4>
If you’d like to make a tax exempt donation to the Lowcountry Community COVID-19 Response Fund, you can do so by visiting the Community Foundation’s home page at www.cf-lowcountry.org or by going to the fund’s donation landing page at https://cflowcountry.civicore.com/covid.