More than $1.3 million in Boston Resiliency Fund grants distributed

To date, including this most recent round of grants, the Fund has distributed over $17.6 million to 191 organizations.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee today announced the seventh round of Boston Resiliency Fund Grants, distributing $1.3 million to assist 19 organizations working to help residents in the City of Boston impacted most by the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, including this most recent round of grants, the Fund has distributed over $17.6 million to 191 organizations; 61 percent of grantee organizations are led by a woman and 41 percent are led by a person of color.

"The generosity of thousands of individuals and organizations is allowing the Boston Resiliency Fund to provide food for children and seniors in need, technology for students, and support to first responders and healthcare workers," said Mayor Walsh. "The work of the fund will continue to be informed by the COVID-19 Health Inequities Task Force to get resources into communities that have the deepest needs. We've used it to expand COVID testing access and outreach in our hardest hit communities and in every neighborhood across the city."

The grants awarded this round will support essential services for residents being provided by community-based organizations, expand COVID-19 testing and telehealth services at Community Health Centers, provide childcare, safety training, and emotional support for essential and frontline workers, and support food delivery systems. Applications for funding are reviewed with a lens towards equity and with learnings from the COVID-19 Health Inequities Task Force. 52 percent of the organizations funded in this round are led by a person of color, and 47 percent are led by a woman.

"The healthcare workers of 1199SEIU are grateful for the support of the Boston Resiliency Fund to train and empower caregivers in nursing homes and home care. These workers are largely invisible as they care for seniors and people with disabilities across Boston, but are indispensable to those they care for and play a critical role in stopping the spread of the virus to this vulnerable population," said Tim Foley, 1199SEIU Executive Vice President. "Having access to vital infection control information that is language-inclusive ensures caregivers are able to better protect themselves and those they care for a safer and more resilient Boston."

"The Newmarket Business Association is very happy to be able to assist the City of Boston in providing 'last mile' food from the Greater Boston Food Bank and deliver it to those in need in our neighborhoods," said Sue Sullivan, Executive Director of Newmarket Community Partners. "Many of our businesses rely on trucking and distribution and this makes us a natural partner to work with the City on this effort."

Last week, Mayor Walsh announced that the Boston Resiliency Fund had raised over $30 million, following an initial goal of $10 million. To date, the Boston Resiliency Fund has raised over $30.7 million from 5,818 individual donors.

The grants awarded today range in size and will support the goals outlined by the City of Boston:

Expanding testing at neighborhood-based community health centers: The Boston Resiliency Fund has now dedicated $1.24 million to expand COVID-19 testing and conduct culturally appropriate outreach and education at 17 community health centers across City of Boston neighborhoods. This week, grants include:

Support for frontline and essential workers:

1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds (TEF): The grant will support Home Health Care Aides working or living in Boston by providing a health and safety training that emphasizes infection prevention, specifically deep hand cleaning protocols, proper handling and removal of personal protective equipment (PPE), and safe use of chemicals. Those who participate in the training will receive a small stipend upon completion.
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare: The Schwartz Center will launch a new initiative with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD to offer Stress First Aid (SFA) training to teams from Boston healthcare institutions. Once trained, these teams will be able to offer SFA as well as train others, thus becoming "force multipliers" and having a positive ripple effect throughout their organization. This funding would allow the Schwartz Center to expand beyond their member hospitals and work with Community Health Centers as well.
YMCA Emergency Childcare: With previous support from the Boston Resiliency Fund, the YMCA has provided 380,000 "grab & go" meals for children; over 25,000 meals for adults; 17,000 bags of groceries, diapers, baby formula and other hygiene products for families and seniors; and 360 child care slots for essential workers in Boston. This additional support will enable the YMCA to keep emergency child care centers open through the end of June.

Expansion of community telehealth services:

Expansion of Community Health Centers (CNC) Telehealth with the Mass League: The grant will expand telehealth capacity from the pilot with 9 initial Community Health Centers to 19 Community Health Centers in Boston. Those centers that were part of the pilot have already coordinated and placed orders for needed telehealth equipment for staff and patients in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Increasing access to food and basic needs for residents:

Catie's Closet: The grant will allow Catie's Closet to continue to provide basic necessities, including toiletries and feminine products to homeless and low-income families through the City's youth meal sites.
Community Servings: Community Servings will continue to prepare and deliver healthy wellness meals, in partnership with the City of Boston, for approximately 1,500 food insecure Boston residents including children, seniors, and families.
NAACP Boston Branch: The NAACP Boston Branch will use the grant to support families with the financial support necessary to purchase groceries and pay for prescriptions.
Newmarket Community Partners: Newmarket Community Partners will coordinate essential "last mile" transportation, in partnership with the City of Boston, to distribute food to Boston Housing Authority and Age Strong residents. They will support this work by adding additional trucks and hiring more drivers through mid-June. They will also continue to support opportunities for small businesses at risk of permanent closure.
Paulist Center: The Paulist Center will use funds to continue providing take-out meals for their Wednesday Supper Club and bagged groceries for their food pantry.
St. Mary's Episcopal Church: St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Dorchester will use funds to purchase groceries for their food pantry and continue food deliveries to food pantry clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support for community-based organizations and Boston residents:

Asian American Civic Association: The grant will be used to provide financial assistance to Boston households to prevent homelessness due to inability to pay rent or mortgage due to COVID-19.
Boston Housing Authority (BHA) Charlestown Adult Education: BHA Charlestown Adult Education program will use funds to distribute gift cards and food essentials to Boston residents in need.
Chica Project: Chica Project will support 90 Boston girls and young women of color who have been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic by providing grocery gift cards to girls and their families, supporting staff and facilitators for their school-based and community-based programming, and offering emergency stipends for housing insecure families that have lost income.
Massachusetts Coalition of Domestic Workers: The grant will allow the Massachusetts Coalition of Domestic Workers to fund three outreach workers and connect domestic workers with financial assistance and additional supports, such as food and access to health care insurance.
The Guild: With previous support from the Boston Resiliency Fund, The Guild has supported over 1,700 residents since April 1st, including seniors, home-bound residents, and immigrant families. This additional support will allow The Guild to continue assembling and delivering critical care packages of food, toiletries, cleaning, personal, senior and child care supplies to households across Dorchester, and Roxbury, Mattapan. The grant will also support group wellness and healing for pregnant and new mothers.
YouthBuild USA/Youth on Board: The grant will allow Youth on Board and Boston Student Advisory Council to continue their advocacy and programming in partnership with the Boston Public Schools leadership.
Youth Guidance - Becoming A Man (BAM) Boston: Through BAM, Youth Guidance provides critical counseling services for over 500 young men through a virtual platform. To address the needs of their community and augment the counseling services they are already providing, the grant will support the purchase and distribution of gift cards to families in-need to acquire basic necessities and essentials.

The Fund will continue accepting donations from individuals, organizations and philanthropic partners who wish to contribute and offer their support. All of the donations will be awarded to local organizations, with the majority of future grants to be made through the end of May. Organizations are encouraged to complete a statement of interest to be considered for future grants.

As the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are quickly evolving and potentially long-lasting, the City and the Steering Committee will work closely with non-profit partners and service providers to understand how their needs will change. As a result, the priorities of the fund may change as the needs of Boston residents evolve.

The Boston Resiliency Fund exists within the Boston Charitable Trust, an existing 501(c)(3) designated trust fund managed by the City of Boston's Treasury Department. For more information on how to make a donation, please visit: boston.gov/resiliency-fund. For general inquiries, please email brf@boston.gov.