For their work responding to the Covid-19 crisis, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, the Island Food Pantry, Island Grown Initiative and the YMCA of MV are receiving a total of $450,000 from MVYouth, according to an announcement from the community fund Saturday. An additional $50,000 will seed an emergency fund for licensed early child care providers.
Community Services was granted $200,000 to support its many programs, including counseling and addiction services now being delivered by telehealth, providing essential supplies to families in need and assisting homeless Islanders and victims of domestic violence.
The food pantry is receiving $36,000 to address a projected 20 per cent to 50 per cent increase in demand. A $14,000 grant to Island Grown Initiative will enable the expansion of its capacity to produce food for the pantry and other organizations on the Vineyard.
MVYouth, which awarded the YMCA a $200,000 expansion grant earlier this year, has lifted all the grant restrictions, allowing the Y to make up a projected $750,000 funding gap arising from the Covid-19 closure, according to the announcement.
The Early Childcare Providers Emergency Fund will support the 20 licensed early child care programs on Martha’s Vineyard, which have been closed since mid-March. MVYouth also will offer accounting expertise to help the providers with unemployment benefits and Paycheck Protection Program loans, according to the announcement.
Founded in 2014, MVYouth normally supports youth-serving nonprofits with expansion grants, but executive director Lindsey Scott said the board of trustees unanimously agreed to direct this funding toward the emergency operating needs of organizations that serve all ages.
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