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United Way’s COVID-19 Response Fund Deploys Just Over $1 Million Toward Crisis Relief

United Way’s COVID-19 Response Fund Deploys Just Over $1 Million Toward Crisis Relief

Allocations Focused Primarily on Agencies Serving New American, Refugee, International Communities

June 15, 2020, NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The COVID-19 Response Fund deployed another round of funding, $1,090,000, to 21 local nonprofit organizations helping individuals and families impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

This fourth round of funding went primarily to agencies serving New American, refugee and international communities. The Fund’s steering committee studied data, gathered from helpline calls and virus tracking reports, and conducted extensive outreach to understand the need and found a strong concentration in Nashville’s lower east and south quadrants.

“Our refugee and immigrant neighbors are frequently and predominantly in low-pay, high-risk essential jobs. And going to work means the difference between food for their children and keeping their lights on,” said Erica Mitchell, chief community impact officer for United Way. “Are our neighbors receiving assistance? Do they have PPE? What systemic injustices are contributing to how they are impacted? These are all factors the committee extensively researched when determining this next round of allocations.”

The Fund’s first allocations focused on direct financial assistance, and the second round focused on COVID-19’s contributing factors, such as food insecurity, suicide prevention and domestic violence. The most recent allocations were the first with a strong geographic component.

“There are so many ways our New American, refugee and international neighbors have been left behind,” Mitchell said. “When you look at the federal Economic Impact Payment, many of our international neighbors who are here legally do not have a Social Security Number if they have not naturalized; instead, they have a Taxpayer ID, and those with Taxpayer IDs do not receive an EIP check.”

Nonprofit agencies are reporting that their thousand-person long waitlists are often because non-English speakers can’t accurately complete their applications for assistance due to cultural or linguistic reasons. This funding cycle will help agencies to provide additional navigation and case management support so that that New American, refugee and immigrant neighbors can access existing resources.

The COVID-19 Response Fund is housed at United Way of Greater Nashville, in partnership with Mayor John Cooper’s office and local corporate and philanthropic partners. Since March, the Fund has quickly and efficiently addressed the health and economic challenges of COVID-19 by rapidly deploying resources to community-based organizations in need of funds to meet the immediate needs of individuals affected by the crisis. Since March, the Fund has allocated $3,525,000 of the $5,066,326 raised into the community. 100 percent of the Fund goes to nonprofits to help individuals impacted by COVID-19 and agencies that need organizational support.

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About United Way of Greater Nashville 
At United Way, we unite the community and mobilize resources so that every child, individual and family thrives. Together, we are working to create a community where every child receives a quality education, no one lives in poverty or poor health, and the most basic needs of our families are met. We are uniquely positioned to the lead this fight by bringing individuals, businesses, nonprofits and government to the table to have the tough conversations, mobilize the resources and make the smart investments that will create lasting solutions for our region’s most pressing issues. For more information, visit unitedwaynashville.org and follow us on social media @UWNashville.