By Reader Staff
Innovia Foundation announced 165 grants totaling $746,012 from the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Funds for North Idaho and eastern Washington — including five to Sandpoint-based organizations.
The second round of grants from the Response and Recovery Funds, announced June 16, is directed to nonprofit and grassroots organizations, as well as tribal entities, schools and other government agencies, that are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
Grant awards focused on child care and youth, food assistance needs, support for immigrant and refugee communities, mental health resources and small business support.
Sandpoint recipients included the Angels Over Sandpoint, which received $2,000 to put toward its program offering financial support to community members in need for necessities such as rent, utilities and food.
Bonner Homeless Transitions received $4,000 to pay for grocery cards for clients and supplies of non-perishable food. Innovia also granted IdaHope Families a sum of $4,000 to support financial needs of families affected by unemployment, domestic violence, substance abuse, homelessness, mental illness and medical crises.
NAMI Far North received $5,000 to help pay for phone service for mental health clinicians who staff the North Idaho Crisis Services and increase advertising regarding mental health services available in the community.
Finally, Panhandle Alliance for Education was awarded $4,000 to support professional development for educators in partnership with the Lake Pend Oreille School District.
The COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funds are hosted at Innovia Foundation in partnership with Equinox Foundation and Avista Foundation in North Idaho and Empire Health Foundation and Spokane County United Way in eastern Washington.
“Equinox Foundation is proud to be part of this collaborative effort,” said Equinox Foundation Board President Julie Meyer. “The partners and funders involved recognize that we can have greater impact by working together and are committed to assisting the most marginalized and vulnerable members of our community who are adversely affected by this outbreak.”
Added Innovia Foundation CEO Shelly O’Quinn: “As our region enters into the recovery phase, we are reminded of the strength of community and collaboration as we collectively make these grants thoughtfully and strategically with over 100 regional volunteers and trusted voices.”
Grants from the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Funds are administered in partnership with regional community advisory groups consisting of residents and leaders from health, business, education and human services. Funds available for eastern Washington and North Idaho have surpassed $2.7 million.
For more info, visit innovia.org/COVID19.
