RICHMOND, Va. -- The Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund has raised more than $4.6 million dollars to support local organizations helping to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus.
Created by the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and the Emergency Management Alliance of Central Virginia, the fund is a regional, coordinated campaign that was launched with contributions from local foundations and corporations.
In recent weeks, United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg has committed to matching up to $100,000 in donations made through their website – a milestone that was reached on Tuesday, April 28.
Additionally, Virginia Green Lawn Care has contributed $5,000 to the COVID-19 Response Fund to spread their support to organizations across the region. On Wednesday, they are launching a social media campaign asking people to “Share the Love” by creating a heart on their lawn out of toys, gardening tools, pets or people – anything they might have on hand. For every picture posted and tagged with #VirginiaGreen and #ShareTheLove, the company will donate an additional $10 up to $1,000.
“I am thankful for all of the donors who helped us meet the $100,000 milestone,” said James Taylor, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg. “However, there is still a lot more work to be done. I encourage everyone to help us keep momentum going.”
An advisory committee from the philanthropic, business and public sectors are reviewing and distributing grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund on a rolling basis. Initially focused on emergency response, the fund previously announced $1.1 million in a first round of grants to organizations helping to mitigate the health impacts of the pandemic, with special focus on food access, healthcare, shelter and support for seniors.
To view a full list of grants awarded to date, click here [cfrichmond.org]. To learn more about the fund or to donate, go to www.togetheroneregion.org [togetheroneregion.org].