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Grant Recipients

COVID -19: Community Response Fund

Grants from the COVID-19 Community Response Fund

On March 17, 2020, the COVID-19 Community Response Fund was established by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and United Way Fox Cities, with additional generous donations from the community. See who they are here.

Through March of 2022, grants focused on the Fox Valley region’s most vulnerable populations and the nonprofit organizations providing urgent basic needs support such as safe shelter, physical and mental healthcare, food, childcare and financial assistance in Outagamie, Calumet, Shawano, Waupaca and the Neenah-Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

In an incredible show of generosity and selflessness during a time of ever-changing challenges, this fund awarded $1,776,497 in grants to 118 local nonprofit organizations! Check out the news release here.

Click on these categories to see the complete list of grant recipients:

American Red Cross in Northeast Wisconsin — A $20,000 grant is helping the organization assist 52 people who were displaced after an apartment fire in Menasha June 20. Due to COVID-19 social distancing and safety requirements, the chapter’s usual temporary shelter options are not adequate, so people are being safely lodged at two hotels and are receiving meals and assistance with basic needs.

Christine Anne Domestic Abuse Services — A $5,000 grant will help crisis advocates provide emotional and basic needs support and safety planning to individuals in crisis in Winnebago County, which includes the Neenah and Menasha area.

COTS — A $5,000 grant will help this Appleton based transitional shelter meet increasing demand for its services from people experiencing homelessness in Outagamie, Calumet and the Neenah and Menasha area of Winnebago counties. A $20,000 grant will continue providing basic needs and other essential services to its residents from Calumet, Outagamie and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties, most of whom have lost their jobs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Foundations for Living — Following the Waupaca-based organization’s temporary expansion of its warming shelter’s open time from overnight to 24 hours, a $10,000 grant will help it care for people experiencing homelessness and financial crisis in Waupaca County.

Greater Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity — A $5,000 grant will help the organization purchase disinfecting supplies and protective items for employees, volunteers and shoppers at ReStores and construction sites.

Harbor House Domestic Abuse Programs — A $10,000 grant will help ensure proper staffing coverage for providing essential services to survivors of domestic abuse primarily from Outagamie and Calumet counties who are living at the shelter.

Mission of Hope House — To ensure the New London-based shelter continues providing care and services, a $20,000 grant will help people primarily from Waupaca and Outagamie counties who are experiencing homelessness.

Pillars — A $30,000 grant supports the Appleton-based homeless shelter’s temporary hotel arrangement to enhance COVID-19 safety and social distance guidelines for its staff and clients it serves from Calumet, Outagamie and the Neenah and Menasha area of Winnebago counties. A $60,000 grant supports the Appleton-based homeless shelter’s prevention and diversion program and cold weather overflow needs. A $23,832 grant is supporting a four-month pilot effort in partnership with ThedaCare to address a significant increase in the number of homeless patients being admitted for inpatient psychiatric care. The pilot will provide a safe place for homeless patients to stay and receive support after being discharged from the hospital.

Safe Haven – Domestic Abuse Shelter of Shawano County — A grant of $5,000 will allow the organization to provide emergency shelter and immediately needed food, hygiene products, gas cards, diapers and other basic needs.

SAM 25 — A $5,000 grant will enable the Shawano Area Matthew 25 homeless shelter and resource center to provide basic needs support to people in Shawano County.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley — A $25,000 grant will support young child and school-age care at its Appleton and Menasha locations for children of essential workers and those in the child welfare system. The clubs will continue providing about 550 free meals to kids each weeknight via a drive-thru service, in addition to providing free breakfast and lunch each weekday to the 350 children in the youth development program.

Boys & Girls Club of Shawano — The organization will use a $2,500 grant to provide relief bags with food and other basic necessities to club members and their families in Shawano County.

Brillion Food Pantry-St. Vincent de Paul — A grant of $2,500 will help the pantry provide more food to meet increased need.

Casa Hispana — A $5,000 grant will provide and deliver food boxes each week to families in need, some of whom do not qualify for other food related assistance.

Clintonville Area Food Pantry — A $1,500 grant will enable the pantry to provide more immediately needed food staples, such as eggs, milk, meat, fruits and vegetables.

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin — The food bank supports its member network of food pantries, programs and homeless shelters that provide hunger relief to people living in Outagamie, Calumet, Shawano, Waupaca and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties. A $6,400 supports transportation needs related to their partnership with the USDA’s Farm to Family meal box distribution in Appleton, Shawano County and Waupaca County. A $5,000 grant will be used to add temporary staff by hiring employees from the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center who are experiencing reduced hours due to the pandemic. Additionally a grant of $50,000 will be used to purchase additional food and distribute it to pantries; sanitize the food bank where food is stored, received and distributed; support critical staff who receive and transport food, and remove obstacles so pantries can receive food quickly.

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and St. Joseph Food Program — A $50,000 grant supports the Fox Valley Food Partnership Project, a joint effort led by the two organizations, which includes food and personal safety purchases, and coordination of drive-thru and home delivery distribution methods.

Fox Valley Community Table — A $2,000 grant will help to provide food for free box lunches that are distributed every Tuesday and Saturday in the parking lot of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Neenah.

Freedom Food Pantry — A grant of $2,500 will help the pantry in the Town of Freedom provide more food to meet increased need. A $5,000 grant will help the pantry transition to a new space with capacity to serve more people. 

The FRESH Project — An $8,500 grant will help start a new all-volunteer run food pantry serving people in the Gresham area of Shawano county.

Heart of the Valley Food Pantry — A $3,500 grant will help the Kimberly pantry serve an increased number of people from the Fox Cities who are seeking food assistance during the Covid-19 crisis.

Heart of the Valley Food Pantry – Fox Valley Christian Fellowship — A $2,400 grant will be used to purchase a pallet stacker for volunteers to use to safely unload food from trucks, helping to ensure continuation of food distribution.

Helping Hands Food Pantry — A $1,500 grant will help the Shawano County pantry in Cecil provide food to people in need.

Holyland Food Pantry — A $5,000 grant will help the pantry purchase equipment to address a short-term urgent need and provide long-term support for their fresh food inventory needs that include their southern Calumet County service area.

Hortonville Food Pantry — A $5,000 grant will help the organization meet an increasing need for food assistance in Outagamie and Waupaca Counties.

Living the Waupaca Way – A $5,000 grant is being used to increase the organization’s capacity to fight food insecurity in Waupaca County through its Community Garden and Kitchen Equipment Projects. 

Loaves and Fishes of the Fox Valley – A $5,000 grant supports its free, nutritious meal program on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at St. Therese Activity Center in Appleton, which transitioned to a to-go, drive-thru service during the pandemic.  

Neighbor to Neighbor — A $3,500 grant will help the United Methodist Church in Manawa purchase freezers to store frozen meals prepared by volunteer cooks using mostly donated excess produce from a pantry, grocery store and local farmers. The meals will be distributed weekly to area residents. An additional $2,000 helped the nonprofit purchase needed items through spring.

New Holstein Christian Center Food Pantry — A $5,000 grant will help the pantry maintain its ability to serve residents during its weekly distribution times.

Ryan Community — A $5,000 grant will be used to provide food for residents of this community-based residential facility in Appleton that serves the Fox Cities.

Shawano Area Food Center – A $15,000 grant will assist with increased cooler and freezer needs at the food distribution warehouse in Shawano County, which accepts and stores delivered orders from Feeding America, Hunger Relief, USDA, local and area food retailers/distributors designated for multiple food pantries in the region. 

Shepherd’s Watch Community Center — A $1,000 grant will provide food for the pantry and meals on wheels service for people living in the Mattoon, Birnamwood and Aniwa areas of Shawano County.

St. Joseph Food Program — A $15,000 grant will help the Menasha-based organization enhance its services and purchase coolers for storing milk and other perishable items as part of its new drive-up method of distributing food weekly to people in the greater Fox Valley area, primarily from Neenah to Kaukauna. A $20,000 grant will be used to improve its service delivery by modifying its Menasha facility so volunteers can safely serve people in need of food through the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.

St. Vincent de Paul, Neenah/Menasha — A $10,000 grant will help the organization expand their food pantry due to a significant increase in people seeking their assistance during the pandemic. 

Vivent Health — In support of the organization’s efforts to meet increased demand for essential services during Covid-19 social distancing, a $10,000 grant will help to provide food to families living with HIV in the Fox Cities area through home delivery services.

Waupaca County Senior Meals Program — A $5,000 grant will help to provide nutritious meals to home-bound people age 60 and older in Waupaca County.

Waupaca Farm Market — A $2,000 grant supports its SNAP/WIC assistance program that enables people on food assistance to get healthy, fresh produce in person or via online and home delivery options.

YouthGo — This youth drop-in center in Neenah, which serves Outagamie, Calumet and Winnebago counties, will use a $5,000 grant to continue to provide and enhance virtual programming by adding activity kits so its youth participants can connect, chat and create while at home, and support their parents and guardians by providing food and personal essentials.

BABES, Inc. — The Appleton-based organization, which focuses on prevention of child abuse and neglect by providing safe, no-cost respite care, educational services and counseling to young families, will use a $5,000 grant to remain connected to and support families in Outagamie, Calumet and Neenah and Menasha areas of Winnebago counties who are experiencing high stress during the COVID-19 crisis.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley — A $10,000 grant will be primarily used to support young child and school-age care at its Appleton and Menasha locations for health care workers, public safety personnel and other essential workers, and to provide free meals to kids each weeknight.

Bridges Child Enrichment Center — A grant of $8,500 will enable the center, which provides care for children of diverse needs, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds from Calumet, Outagamie and the Neenah Menasha area of Winnebago counties, to purchase equipment and supplies to keep children, teachers and families as healthy as possible during the Covid-19 crisis. An additional $5,000 grant assists with upgrading HVAC filters to improve indoor air circulation and ventilation for children and staff at the Appleton-based center.

Child Care Resource and Referral — The organization, which supports the quality and accessibility of early childhood education and care, will use a $5,000 grant to purchase urgently needed supplies for child care programs, and a a $3,000 grant to purchase Covid-19-related cleaning and safety supplies serving essential workers in Calumet, Outagamie, Waupaca and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

Community Child Care Center — This Kimberly-based center serving families in Outagamie, Calumet and the Neenah and Menasha area of Winnebago counties will use a $2,000 grant to improve WiFi bandwidth to support multiple devices that will be used with distance learning activities for elementary students who are onsite for before and after school care. A $3,000 grant will help to ensure a quality and safe environment for children attending this Kimberly-based center serving families in Outagamie, Calumet and the Neenah and Menasha area of Winnebago counties. A $2,000 grant will help the center in Kimberly continue to provide a quality, safe environment for the children and families it serves from Calumet, Outagamie and the Neenah and Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

Community Early Learning Center, Fox ValleyA $1,900 grant will help purchase a toy sanitizer to more securely move forward in protecting children from viruses and other contagious illnesses. 

Day Care Center of New London — A $3,000 grant will help the center provide day care services for children of essential workers in New London and other nearby rural areas of Outagamie and Waupaca counties.

Grow With Us Child Care Center — A $5,000 grant supports availability and accessibility of child care services for essential workers in the Black Creek area and other nearby rural areas of northern Outagamie County.

Little Angel Child Care — A $5,000 grant will help the Appleton-based center continue providing care to low-income and special needs children in Outagamie County with family members employed by essential businesses during the Covid-19 crisis.

Sunny Day Child Care Center — A $10,000 grant will help the center continue providing critically needed child care services to families in Waupaca. 

YMCA Fox Cities — A grant of $35,000 supports early childhood programming that’s operating at three childcare centers in Appleton and Neenah, serving children of health care and other essential workers during the pandemic crisis. An additional $30,000 helped support childcare programs.

A Ride for Hope – $3,000 benefits its financial assistance program, which helps people who are receiving cancer treatments in the Fox Valley region. 

African Heritage, Inc. — The organization, which focuses on supporting and increasing awareness of African Americans, Blacks and members with an interest in African American/Black culture and issues, will use a $25,000 grant to provide emergency relief to Black families and individuals in need due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Alternative Center for Education – A $3,000 grant will be used to provide financial assistance for support services for adults and families of children and youth in Outagamie, Calumet and the Neenah and Menasha area of Winnebago counties who learn differently. 

Bridges Child Enrichment Center – A 46,500 grant was used to upgrade HVAC filters to improve indoor air circulation and ventilation for children and staff at the Appleton-based center, which provides high quality care for children of diverse needs, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Calumet County Salvation Army — A $10,000 grant will be used to provide financial assistance to families in Calumet County who are struggling during the COVID-19 crisis.    

CAP Services — With a mission of transforming people and communities to advance social and economic justice, the organization will use a $5,000 grant to provide basic needs support to people living in Outagamie and Waupaca counties.

Children’s Cancer Family Foundation — A $6,000 grant will provide financial assistance to families facing pediatric cancer in the Fox Valley region.  

Community Benefit Tree — A $5,000 grant will help the Kaukauna-based organization provide basic needs assistance to people from Calumet, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca and the Neenah-Menasha area of Winnebago counties who are struggling with a medical crisis, including Covid-19.

Community Clothes Closet — A $5,000 grant will help the Menasha-based organization increase its low clothing inventory to enable it to provide an estimated 800 area children with needed clothes during its annual back-to-school event.     

Community Early Learning Center of the Fox ValleyA $1,900 grant helped purchase a toy sanitizer to more securely move forward in protecting children from viruses and other contagious illnesses.

Family Caregivers Rock — A $1,500 grant will provide items to in-home caregivers in Outagamie, Waupaca, Calumet and the Neenah and Menasha area of Winnebago counties who are experiencing greater stresses of caring for loved ones.

Fox Valley Technical College Foundation — A $10,000 grant will be used to replenish its Seeds of Hope Fund, which provides students from the Fox Valley region with financial assistance for short-term needs like gas, car repairs, medical bills, utilities and housing, so that they can continue with their education.

Fox Valley Veterans Council — To help prevent local veterans from becoming homeless or entering a cycle of poverty, a grant of $5,000 will enable the council to sustain its Veterans Emergency Fund, which it uses to provide emergency basic needs assistance to veterans living in Outagamie, northern Calumet and northern Winnebago counties.

Jake’s Diapers — A $5,000 grant will help the organization purchase diapers that are distributed to agencies helping Shawano County families meet their basic needs.

LEAVEN — This Menasha-based provider of social services for economically disadvantaged and vulnerable people will use a $50,000 grant to provide basic needs financial assistance, preventing struggling households from slipping into greater poverty, homelessness and ill health. An additional $10,000 helped with eCPR trainings held by WIMA.

Lutheran Social Services of WI and Upper Michigan — A $20,000 grant will help fund a part-time transportation coordinator position to support Make the Ride Happen during the period March thru December 2021.

Marion Area Ministerial Association House of Hope – A $2,500 grant helped the nonprofit purchase clothing racks to enable the community and volunteers to view clothing items donated to its clothes closet.

New Holstein St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry — A $2,500 grant will help the organization provide financial assistance and food to residents.

Options for Independent Living — A $20,000 grant will help people with disabilities and older adults in Outagamie, Calumet, Waupaca, Shawano and the Neenah and Menasha area of Winnebago counties meet their basic needs related to housing, food and equipment that will enable them to live safely at home.

People of Progression – A $15,000 grant will support producing culturally appropriate messaging programs via FoxCityFlix and community discussions regarding COVID-19 vaccine access, concerns, and education from the CDC. Also support any costs incurred by our 2 pop-up mobile vaccination clinics. An additional $1,800 supported marketing materials such as posters, news releases, and flyers.

St. Vincent de Paul-Appleton — To help vulnerable people living in Outagamie and Waupaca counties remain safe in their homes and prevent homelessness, a $20,000 grant will help the organization respond to an increase in urgent requests for assistance with food, transportation, housing and other basic needs.

St. Vincent de Paul Neenah/Menasha — A $20,000 grant will be used to help vulnerable people in the Neenah and Menasha areas who need urgent assistance with food, transportation, housing and other basic needs. A $6,000 grant is designated for freezer capacity expansion. An additional $2,000 grant was used to purchase gas cards to assist 40 community members with transportation barriers.

Valley Packaging Industries – A $5,000 grant was used to replenish PPE for non-profits through the hub at Valley Packaging.

Volunteer Center of East Central Wisconsin, Inc. – A $3,000 grant to help support staff coverage and other resources to assist with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. 

Wisconsin United Coalition of Mutual Assistance – A $5,000 grant will help promote and incentivize vaccine clinics in Hmong and Southeast Asian communities.

World Relief Fox Valley — A $5,000 grant will help the organization meet urgent basic needs of refugees and immigrants in Appleton, Menasha and Neenah.

ALS Wisconsin Association Chapter — A $5,000 grant supports the medical equipment loan closet in Appleton that provides specialized equipment such as motorized chairs and speech devices typically not covered completely by insurance to people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) living in Outagamie, Calumet, Shawano, Waupaca and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

American Cancer Society — A $5,000 grant will help to provide free transportation and lodging for cancer patients and their families from Calumet, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca and the Neenah-Menasha area of Winnebago counties. 

Apricity — A $10,000 grant is designated for the purchase of HIPAA compliant laptops to enable therapists working remotely to securely access information about clients from Outagamie and the Neenah and Menasha area of Winnebago counties who are in treatment and recovery for substance use disorders. A $50,000 grant supports its residential treatment recovery support services and additional food expenses in its transitional residential treatment houses during the COVID-19 crisis. The Neenah-based organization helps people, primarily from Outagamie and Winnebago counties, who have been impacted by substance use disorders by providing treatment, employment and support services in a safe, progressive recovery community. 

Beaming, Inc.  — The Neenah-based provider of equine therapy for individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities and emotional/behavioral health needs will use a $5,000 grant to continue virtual therapy and prepare for reopening for in-person equine therapy with increased safety measures in place.

Casa Hispana  — A $16,000 grant  supports family vaccination clinics at Wilson School on July 11 and August 1, 2021, focused on reaching children of color through the Appleton Area School District and their families. A $5,000 grant provided funds and vouchers to the Vaccine Clinic at Maplewood Middle School in Menasha. A $5,000 grant supported pop-up vaccination clinics in August and September 2021 together with community partners such as the Tri-County Multicultural Communications Committee, City of Menasha Health Department and LEAVEN. An $11,000 grant supported a vaccine clinic at Country Crossing Mobile Home Park.

Catalpa — While the organization has transitioned to telehealth to continue providing mental health care for children and teens, some families don’t have the helpful tools for effective therapy at home, so a $10,000 grant will provide for the assembly and mailing of more than 600 therapy kits. In addition, intensive outpatient kits will be provided and sanitation kits will be assembled for office locations when in-person therapy resumes. A $25,000 grant will help this provider of mental health services for children and youth in the greater Fox Cities and Waupaca areas to make COVID-19 safety improvements that will allow them to resume psychological testing with patients under age 12, enable its team members to become certified in tele-mental health, and provide technology to improve and continue delivering telemedicine. A $10,000 grant covered funding for Catalpa Care management full-time employees.  

Center for Suicide Awareness — A $5,000 grant will help the organization respond to an increase in requests for suicide prevention materials from area community organizations, medical offices, police and fire departments, Covid-19 testing sites, churches, and individuals.

Community Action for Healthy Living – A $2,000 grant will help provide incentives for vaccination of the underserved residents of Calumet County.

Diverse & Resilient – $5,000 supports the organization’s Room to Be Safe Anti-Violence program for LGBTQ+ people in the Fox Cities, which is experiencing an urgent need to support mental health services.   

Family Services — This provider of outpatient mental health services to children, youth and adults in the Fox Valley area will use a $1,000 grant to enhance its telehealth services.

Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin — A $9,400 grant will be used to purchase technology equipment to help students in the Triumph Program in the Kimberly, Kaukauna and Little Chute school districts continue to access virtual mental health services. Additionally a $10,000 grant will enable the organization to more effectively move its  in-home Parent Connection education and early learning programs and first-time parent programs to a virtual environment to continue supporting and strengthening Fox Cities families.

Friendship Place — A $20,000 grant will enable the organization adapt its in-person and online services to continue  helping adults with mental illness who need support, especially during the Covid-19 crisis, which is causing an increase in severe mental health symptoms of its members. An additional $10,000 helped support operating costs for the remainder of the year covering social programming, staff costs and general operating costs. 

Hope Clinic and Care Center — The Menasha-based clinic will use a $10,000 grant to continue providing uninsured and underinsured people in the Fox Cities with free healthcare support during the Covid-19 crisis.

Innovative Services  — A $7,500 grant will help the staff continue to safely provide support services to people with developmental disabilities and other varying needs living independently in their homes and in the organization’s facilities in the Fox Valley area.

LEAVEN — A $10,000 grant will help to address high demand in the Fox Cities area for emotional CPR (eCPR) training, a public health education program that teaches people how to support another person experiencing emotional crisis. The grant also supports expansion of the local eCPR Warmline and the addition of three certified practitioners.

Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan — A $10,000 grant will help its counseling clinic in Appleton continue to provide essential services via telehealth, and a $20,000 grant supports a part-time transportation coordinator position with the Make the Ride Happen program, which is facilitating free transportation services for people who need assistance getting to Covid-19 vaccination appointments.

Mosaic Family HealthA $15,000 grant helped cover expenses incurred during the pandemic.

New Hope Center — A $5,000 grant will help the Chilton-based provider of residential services, transportation, supported employment, prevocational training and adult day services for people with disabilities in greater Calumet County continue providing critical personal care for residents in its homes, apartments and group homes.

N.E.W. Mental Health Connection — A $45,000 grant will cover the membership costs that support the ongoing work of the connection, which is focused on critical needs and community projects addressing the mental health, substance use and suicide impacts of the pandemic. This organization leads the collaboration of community stakeholders to create and continuously improve an exceptional mental health system of care for people in Outagamie, Winnebago and Calumet counties. The 80 members of the connection annually invest in its work, but the COVID-19 crisis has created financial hardships for its nonprofit members. An additional $13,150 grant will help support the support the Crisis to Care Mental Health Navigator 6-month pilot position.

Mosaic Family Health — A $5,000 grant will help the downtown Appleton clinic, and home to the Fox Valley Family Medicine Residency Program, meet an increased need to assist patients from Outagamie, Calumet, Waupaca and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties with reducing medication costs and providing urgently needed transportation for those experiencing Covid-19 symptoms. An additional $10,000 helped with ppe supplies and extra staff.

Oshkosh Area Community Foundation – A $5,000 grant supports a special project fund administered by the OACF in partnership with the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region that will provide funding to entities involved in providing free transportation assistance to people in Outagamie, Calumet and Winnebago counties who need help navigating transportation options to their COVID-19 vaccination appointments. 

People of Progression – $1,800 supports promotional needs for a pop-up Covid-19 vaccination clinic focused on reaching Black community members during the last weekend of July 2021. 

Rawhide — A $20,000 grant will help the organization safely provide residential and counseling services and financial assistance to at-risk youth and their families in the Fox Valley Region.

Rehabilitation House – A $10,000 grant to help the Neenah facility continue providing a safe, loving and enriching environment for their senior residents.

Samaritan Counseling Center — A $12,557 grant will help its Wellness Screen team safely conduct emotional wellness check-ups with students from 10 K-12 school districts in the tri-county area and purchase HIPAA compliant Zoom accounts for therapists engaged in providing services online.  

St. Paul Elder Services — The Kaukauna organization, with a mission of enhancing the lives of aging individuals, will use a $5,000 grant to enhance virtual connections between its facility residents, family members and friends through use of technology.

Tri-County Dental — Due to Covid-19, this all-volunteer clinic based in Appleton has struggled to engage enough volunteers to remain open five days a week to serve people in Outagamie, Calumet and Winnebago counties whose access to dental care is limited due to low income or receiving Medicaid benefits. A $20,000 grant will assist with hiring a dentist to work in the clinic two days a week to continue meeting the needs of its patients.

Us 2 Behavioral Health Care — A $15,000 grant will help the Appleton-based organization continue providing therapy to Fox Cities area residents using a culture-first approach to trauma-informed care.

Valley Packaging Industries —  A $13,150 grant supports a Crisis to Care Mental Health Navigator six-month pilot collaboration with Valley Packaging Industries in which law enforcement in Outagamie, Calumet and Winnebago counties refer people in mental health crisis to the Navigator, housed within VPI, to coordinate connecting people to outpatient care within seven days.  An additional $10,000 helped support nonprofits with ppe supplies.

Volunteer Fox Cities — $13,000 total: $3,000 supports the development of a volunteer recruitment and scheduling process to place medical and non-medical volunteers at Appleton’s community Covid-19 vaccine clinic. A $10,000 grant supports Phone Pals, an outreach program developed in conjunction with the COVID-19 Community Solutions Team that uses volunteers to make friendly phone calls to isolated, homebound residents in Outagamie, Calumet and Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties who may be vulnerable to mental health issues, depression, loneliness and anxiety during the public health crisis.

African Heritage Inc. — A $20,000 grant will help the organization conduct a culturally responsive Covid-19 vaccine education campaign focused on Blacks and African Americans in the Fox Valley region, ensuring they have accurate information to make informed decisions about the vaccine.

Apricity — A $15,000 grant will help the organization ensure the safety of its staff and clients while providing treatment, employment and support to people affected by substance use disorders, primarily in Outagamie and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

Beaming, Inc. — The Neenah-based provider of equine therapy for individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities and emotional/behavioral health needs will use a $5,000 grant to continue to be able to provide therapy when  reopening for in-person sessions.

Big Brothers Big Sisters — A $7,500 grant will provide technology that’s needed to develop and implement an e-mentoring platform to ensure safe communication for site-based matches in Outagamie, Calumet, Waupaca and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

Bletzinger Rehabilitation House — This Neenah-based provider of transitional living for adults diagnosed with both mental illness and substance abuse issues from Outagamie, Winnebago, Shawano and Waupaca counties will use a $20,000 grant to support residents’ needs while living in its apartment-based group home.

Bridge the Gap — The organization, which assists families with youth, teens and adults on the autism spectrum in Shawano County, will use a $5,000 grant to provide food for its adult, middle and elementary school life skills programs. A $20,000 grant will safely continue to offer services and programs in new ways due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Casa Esther — The organization, which works with a large network of Spanish-speaking people in northeast Wisconsin providing support, education, and financial assistance, will use a $15,000 grant in the Fox Valley region to provide basic needs financial assistance and legal advocacy and help to people applying for immigration documentation.

CASA of the Fox Cities — A $1,000 grant supports the organization’s move to a virtual environment to conduct its work, which involves training and utilizing community volunteer advocates to help abused and neglected children in local courts achieve placement in safe and permanent homes. A $4,000 grant will help the Appleton-based organization’s staff and child advocates safely resume its office and in-home visitation services that are focused on helping abused and neglected children in local courts achieve placement in safe and permanent homes.

Community Benefit Tree – A $5,000 grant is designated to help provide funds for 11 families suffering through a medical crisis in the Fox Cities with basic needs including food, utilities, rent/mortgage and the cost of medical treatments.

Compassionate Home Health Care — A $10,000 grant will provide personal care, hygiene and cleaning supplies to children, elderly individuals and those with disabilities or special needs through partner agencies in Outagamie, Calumet and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

CP Fox Cities — An $8,000 grant will be used to transition their Expressive Therapies Music Therapy and Courage Martial Arts programs to a virtual environment to help their clients engage in exercise and movement in a new way due to Covid-19. A $5,000 grant will provide technology equipment to adults with varying developmental and cognitive disabilities enable them and their caregivers to participate in the organization’s virtual programming and tele-support.

Diverse & Resilient — Due to severe revenue shortages during the closure of its retails stores during the first months of the Covid-19 crisis, Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin stopped supporting the LGBT Partnership program, which offers a support group and leadership development for LGBT youth ages 14-18. A $10,000 grant will help the critically needed program transition and restart to become part of Diverse & Resilient’ s Room to Be Safe program.

Exceptional Equestrians — A $5,000 grant will support the DePere-based organization’s equine-assisted therapy programs for physically, emotionally and cognitively challenged children, teens and adults living in Outagamie, Calumet, Shawano, Waupaca counties and the Neenah and Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

Forward Services Corporation — This provider of employment and training services for low-income adults and youth starting their careers will use a $15,000 grant to purchase laptops, technology equipment and high-speed Internet access tools to lend to participants in its Wisconsin Works and FoodShare Employment and Training job training programs in Calumet, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca and the Neenah and Menasha areas of Winnebago counties.

Foundations for Living — A $30,000 grant will help the Waupaca-based organization’s thrift store recover from the effects of the pandemic, allowing it to be fully open in fall of 2021 with a stable foundation of volunteer and staff support. A $10,000 grant is helping the organization continue to operate its mostly volunteer-run shelter’s daily crisis intervention and counseling services.

Fox Valley Memory Project: A $500 grant will help the organization purchase iPads to loan for free to participants in their Mindworks program, which is designed for those with early symptoms of memory loss or dementia and is now happening virtually.  

Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes — A $2,400 grant will be used to assemble care packages for girls from Appleton and Menasha who are participating in its Reaching Out program.

Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin — A $50,000 grant supports the organization’s employment and work skills training programs in Calumet, Outagamie, Waupaca and Neenah and Menasha of Winnebago counties that help people with barriers enter or return to a workforce that could look different following the COVID-19 crisis.

Harbor House Domestic Abuse Programs — A $3,000 grant will help the organization convert space into a school room with supplies for children and teenagers staying in the shelter who need to engage in virtual learning.

Homme Homes — A $6,900 grant will help the Wittenberg nursing home and residential facility purchase an accessible van to continue safe programming to promote social connectedness and enhance mental health and well-being.

Innovative Services — A $10,000 grant will help the organization safely provide support services to people with developmental disabilities and other varying needs in the Fox Valley area.

Life Tools Foundation Inc. – A $5,000 grant will help Life Tools continue to provide exceptional one-on-one tutoring for students from financially challenged families, to allow them to maximize their learning potential and to confidently pursue their educational and personal goals.

Oxford House – Waupaca — A $4,800 grant will help the organization keep its three sober living houses open for people in need of transitional housing while in addiction recovery.  

People of Progression – A $15,000 grant supported producing culturally appropriate messaging programs via FoxCityFlix and community discussions regarding COVID-19 vaccine access, concerns, and education from the CDC. 

Pointters Community Initiatives — The Appleton-based nonprofit will use a $2,500 grant to provide financial assistance to Black/African American families in the Fox Cities. 

Riverview Gardens — A $5,000 grant supports its ServiceWorks program, which gives people experiencing homelessness and unemployment in the Fox Cities the transitional skills they need to gain sustainable employment.

Sexual Assault Crisis Center — A $3,800 grant will help the organization’s staff continue to provide services and support remotely and safely in-person to sexual assault survivors and their families primarily from Outagamie and Calumet counties. A $1,000 grant supports the organization’s move to a virtual environment to conduct its work, which involves providing no-cost crisis intervention and medical and legal advocacy for victims of sexual assault or abuse, their families and friends in Outagamie and Calumet Counties.

SOAR Fox Cities — With a mission of empowering people of differing abilities, the organization will use a $5,000 grant to provide technology equipment for its clients who are  most in need, based on isolation and financial need.

Special Olympics of Wisconsin-Fox ValleyWhile the organization is best known for providing sports and training competitions for children and adults with and without intellectual disabilities, it will use a $10,000 grant to  reduce isolation, maintain access to health screenings and preventive care, facilitate referrals to community resources and provide on-going training and health education for athletes, parents/guardians, and coaches. 

Thompson Center on Lourdes — The Appleton-based organization will use a $10,000 grant to continue supporting the mental and emotional well-being of adults age 50 and older by focusing on needs related to loneliness, isolation and depression during the state’s safer at home order.

Unity Recovery Services, Inc –

Valley Packaging Industries — The organization will use a $25,000 grant to continue providing critical community programs, such as mental health telephone services, basic needs assistance, video employment planning and early intervention for people with disabilities in Outagamie, Calumet, Waupaca and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

Vets and Friends of Wisconsin — A $2,500 grant will help the Appleton organization safely reopen their coffee house and pantry, which supports area military veterans.

Vivent Health — A $10,000 grant will support people living with HIV in the Fox Cities area with home HIV testing kit items, food and supplies to help prevent accidental drug overdose deaths.

WI United Coalition of Mutual Assistance Assoc. – A $5,000 grant helped provide two vaccine clinics for the Hmong community. 

Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation — A $30,000 grant will be used to develop a business financial assistance program within WWBIC to support small and micro business owners who are single mothers and racial and ethnic minorities in rural areas of Outagamie, Calumet, Shawano or Waupaca counties of Wisconsin who are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. In addition to financial assistance, WWBIC will provide in-depth one-to-one education, training and business coaching to support and guide these business owners through current pandemic challenges and longer term recovery.

WisconSibs — A $5,000 grant will be used to create a sustainable, hybrid virtual and in-person programming model for siblings of people with disabilities and their families that meets their needs during and after the pandemic. A $5,000 grant supported safe summer programming for siblings of people with disabilities who are in need of respite and connection with others who understand what they’ve been experiencing during the Covid-19 crisis.

World Relief Fox Valley — A 5,000 grant to do a comprehensive vaccine communication plan to the Congolese population in the Fox Valley.