Dear Friends of MUW,
It has been a whirlwind in our community this past week! Events unfold very quickly these days and our partners and staff have done a wonderful job of staying engaged, responsive, and incredibly nimble.
We have been monitoring developments at the state and national level regarding stimulus funds and keeping abreast of urgent needs here around food, shelter, childcare, abuse cases, and seniors.
This week has also seen an amazing amount of activity around fundraising. Through individual donations, we were able to distribute over $30,000 into the community this week. In just three weeks, we have raised and distributed over $47,000 in total! Please
click here
for a list of partners and programs who have received funds to date.
One especially exciting development to note: The Hoffman Family Foundation has issued a $10,000 challenge grant that runs through noon on Monday, April 6. During this time, all gifts will be doubled up to $10,000. Please help us meet this challenge so that we may distribute $20,000 to our partners next week!
Click here to donate now!
Here are some highlights of what we and our partners have been working on together this week:
Expanded Use of Allocation Dollars
Although funding is being distributed through our Covid-19 Relief Fund, it may not be enough relief for our partners to do their good work. Last week, MUW eased the reporting and use restrictions on our partner’s allocated dollars through May. This allows maximum flexibility for programs to use MUW funds to respond to emerging needs, such as distributing food and supplies, and to take care of themselves operationally so that they may be here for the long-term.
Food Insecurity
Our region has rallied to coordinate efforts and help ensure that our most vulnerable populations have access to healthy food. The Community Kitchen, Monadnock Understands Childhood Hunger, Feeding Tiny Tummies, some of the school systems and many pantries are participating in bi-weekly calls with MUW’s Paige Martin, Program Manager, Impact Monadnock.
These calls allow service providers to learn about one another, share their needs and experiences, and leverage resources. It is this group’s hope that by working together they will have the ability to make all services as meaningful and efficient as possible, even during this time of great uncertainty. Kudos to this group!
Seniors
I noted in last week’s update that MUW was granted $15,000 from Tufts for older adults. A group of agencies providing services to seniors, including the Senior Center, Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services, Southwest Community Services, Community Volunteer Transportation Corporation and others are gathering via Zoom. Katie Gardella, Resource Development Director at MUW is working with this group to help coordinate efforts to determine how they would like to utilize these funds for relief.
Technology to Ensure Safety
Since Covid arrived in NH, the State has seen a 50% decline in reported abuse cases as families have not had access to home visiting, schools, and other social services that would typically uncover abuse. Allowing service providers to use on-screen technologies to provide services can help ensure that families are safe and secure. On April 1, MUW signed a letter from the National Home Visiting Coalition, asking Congress to prioritize Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) funding and needed flexibility, like using technology, for home visitors during the coronavirus crisis.
Stimulus CARES Act
To say that we are living in interesting and unprecedented times is an understatement. So much is changing and in such a short period of time. It’s unbelievable to think that just a month ago, many of us were operating as usual.
Now that we are in the midst of this crisis, I’m confident that we will get through it stronger and more connected than before. MUW and our partners are here for you now and always. Thank you for being there for us through your outreach, volunteering, and generosity.
Until next week,
Liz LaRose, President
