In March 2020, the landscape of the world was transformed as the novel coronavirus swept across our country. Face masks, social distancing, and shortages were the surface level changes noticeable to the public, but our communities were also battling job losses, food and housing insecurities, sickness, and the unexpected passing of loved ones.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Community Foundation's goal was to continue to invest in the health and well-being of our community. We wanted to ensure that nobody went through this alone because each of our friends and neighbors deserve support. To provide a quick response to organizations working with residents impacted by COVID-19, we established the COVID-19 Response Fund on March 19, 2020.

The fund was launched with an initial contribution of $20,000 from our organization, and with the help of our generous donors and partners, we raised $193,614.95 to pour into our community.

Throughout the ongoing pandemic, we administered grants to local nonprofits who were working directly with our most vulnerable communities in response to the crisis. The grants addressed pressing issues:

• Residents who have experienced job loss or significant reduction in hours
• Residents who have lost income due to school or daycare closures
• Residents who lack adequate benefits to cover time off
• Residents who are food insecure
• Residents who are housing insecure

On This Day in History in 2020, the Community Foundation announced its first grant from the fund. WRAP received a $3,000 technology grant to purchase iPads to facilitate contact with sexual assault victims while they were in the emergency department. Due to the visitor policies in place during the pandemic, WRAP was unable to provide in-person hospital accompaniment for sexual assault victims.

In our press release on April 10, 2020, announcing the grant, we highlighted the importance of WRAP's need and the COVID-19 Response Fund's role in bridging the gap.

“Our sexual assault team has struggled with bridging the gap in services at such a crucial time for victims. Many times, our first point of contact with the victim is at the hospital, and we were concerned victims would fall through the cracks without support during this time,” said [former] Executive Director Daryl Chansuthus. “This generous and timely grant from the Foundation allows our staff to connect with victims face-to-face allowing victims to not only hear the compassion in our voices but also be able to see the concern on our faces and hopefully feel they are not in this alone. That sense of trust can make all the difference in victims’ willingness to access the services they need to fully heal from such a fiercely personal attack.”

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“We established the fund to address issues that have directly resulted from the pandemic, and WRAP’s need is a perfect example of how service delivery has changed,” said Foundation President Frank McMeen. “We are proud to offer a means of personal contact during such a critical time for victims, and we applaud WRAP for proactively thinking about how to serve their clients during this unprecedented time.”

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In September 2020, the Community Foundation announced a $10,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Jackson to support the creation of a virtual classroom. In an effort to provide safe places for students in Madison County to attend virtual classes during the COVID-10 pandemic, the Boys & Girls Club stepped up to assist children and families who needed a space and the technology to continue learning.

“We are so proud to have The Foundation’s support in our efforts to meet the needs of our students and our community. It is our hope that the students will stay on track as we all work through the changes that COVID-19 has created,” stated Sabrina Anderson, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Jackson in the press release on September 4, 2020.

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In addition to these grants, the Community Foundation continued to work with leaders in the area to identify needs.

• As hospital workers and other essential employees faced struggles as schools closed and needed safe, reliable care for children, a temporary childcare facility was created. We contributed $10,000 to aid in the efforts to provide peace of mind to those continue to work.
• We invested $35,000 into our school system to support students and families as schools shut their doors and transitioned to virtual learning. These funds helped give students access to reliable internet and purchase laptops and tablets to continue their lessons.
• $95,000 was awarded to nonprofits to temporarily house those in need and provide food boxes in partnership with RIFA.

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40 Years of Impact

In 2025, we are marking 40 years of impact in West Tennessee. Connect with us to discover the history and achievements of the Community Foundation over the past four decades, including photos, stories, and more. Throughout the year, we will continue to highlight big milestones for the organization through our blog, social media, and events. Learn more at https://www.cfwtn.org/40.