CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – By mobilizing the caring power of community, United Way of the Coastal Bend has provided more than $720,000 to help local residents affected by COVID-19.
When the pandemic initially began to affect the Coastal Bend back in March, United Way of the Coastal Bend established a COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund to help local non-profits provide direct services to those being affected.
With 100 percent of all donations going toward local response and recovery efforts, the fund raised $720,164 which was distributed to 40 Coastal Bend organizations. These included:
- Amistad Community Health Center - $15,000 for medical and mental health services to underinsured and uninured and to institute a telephone hotline
- Aransas Pass for Youth - $15,000 to provide utility, water, and basic needs assistance for affected residents in Aransas Pass
- Beeville Vineyard - $7,779 to provide food assistance
- Boys & Girls Club of Beeville - $5,000 to help purchase touchless thermometers, gloves, and masks needed to safely reopen club facilities in Beeville, Refugio, George West and Three Rivers
- Boys & Girls Club of Kingsville - $5,000 to provide food/snacks for Club kids and families
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Bend - $7,300 for program supplies and snack packs for Club youth at Greenwood, Flour Bluff and London ISD sites as well as support for summer programming
- Broken Chains Recovery Center - $10,000 to cover rent expenses for clients who lost their jobs due to COVID-19
- Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi - $40,000 for food and financial assistance
- Center for Independent Living (CBCIL) - $15,000 for rent assistance
- Coastal Bend Food Bank - $27,699.20 to provide food assistance
- Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation - $20,000 to assist clients with utilities, housing, transportation, medication, etc.
- Community Options - $5,000 to support those with disabilities and their families
- Corpus Christi Hope House - $14,500 to provide direct services to individuals/families (material assistance, shelter, social service assistance, basic needs)
- Corpus Christi Housing Authority - $2,972 to provide cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items for the elderly, disabled and/or those who lack adequate transportation
- Corpus Christi Metro Ministries - $100,000 for food, shelter, medical care, social services, and financial assistance
- The Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse - $10,000 to cover salary expenses of outpatient treatment counselor for 2 months
- Family Counseling Service - $40,000 for telehealth mental health services
- Food Bank of the Golden Crescent - $10,000 to provide food assistance for Refugio County residents
- Greenwood-Molina Children's Center - $10,000 to provide childcare for school-aged children and purchase cleaning supplies/equipment and program materials
- Ingleside United Methodist Church - $7,800 to provide community support (food, utilities, prescriptions, etc.)
- Live Oak Community Health Center - $5,500 to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff
- Live Oak County Child Welfare Board - $20,000 to assist families experiencing job loss/reduction of hours (rent/utility assistance/food)
- Mary McLeod Bethune Early Child Development Nursery - $10,000 to provide childcare for essential workers
- Mission 911 - $25,000 to provide food and utility assistance
- Mission of Mercy - $10,000 for medication
- Mother Teresa Shelter - $30,000 to cover costs for providing two meals per day, rental fees for portable toilets and handwashing stations, and motel rooms for COVID-19 positive homeless persons
- OATH (Open Arms Thankful Hearts) - $17,500 to provide food, utility assistance, masks/gloves, transportation costs, medical supplies for affected residents in Bee County
- Prospera Housing Community Services - $15,000 for rent and utility assistance for residents
- The Purple Door - $15,000 to provide shelter and supportive services
- R.E.A.L., Inc. - $42,500 to provide weekly care packages of food, toiletries, essential items being delivered to vulnerable populations (disabled, elderly, those without transportation)
- Ronald McDonald Charities of Corpus Christi - $5,000 to purchase food for families, thermometers, face masks, and cleaning supplies
- The Salvation Army - Corpus Christi - $70,000 for food pantry support; assistance for those falling through the cracks
- South Texas Botanical Gardens - $5,045 to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and provide summer camp scholarships for children whose families were affected by COVID-19
- Timon’s Ministries - $10,000 to help with food/telemedicine costs/staff costs
- USO of South Texas - $10,000 to provide drive-thru food pantry for military members and families
- Wesley Community Center - $10,000 to provide food pantry support for pantries in Corpus Christi and Robstown
- Wesley United Methodist Church - $10,000 for food pantry support
- West Side Helping Hand - $2,000 to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- YMCA of the Coastal Bend - $26,000 for lunches and snacks, instructional materials, staffing costs, sanitizing materials to provide childcare for essential workers; sanitizing materials, PPE, and food for children served by summer camp programs
- Youth Odyssey - $5,000 to provide take-home activity boxes for youth ages 10-17 years
In addition to financial grants, United Way of the Coastal Bend also utilized $8,568.80 to purchase and provide facial masks to a number of non-profit agencies for their employees, clients and visitors.
“We are so appreciative of the individual donors and companies who supported our efforts, especially at a time when many may be facing great uncertainty,” said Libby Averyt, President & CEO of United Way of the Coastal Bend. “Though there’s still work to be done, it’s through the continued support of our community that we can help the Coastal Bend respond, recover, rebuild and re-imagine for the future.”
To learn more or to donate to United Way of the Coastal Bend’s COVID-19 Fund, visit https://www.uwcb.org/covid19-fund.