City provides $231K in nonprofit grants for COVID relief
Some of the services that help the most vulnerable residents to cope with the negative impact of COVID-19 are provided by nonprofit organizations in the community. Many of these providers have experienced a significant increase in service demands and require additional financial support to meet community needs.
On September 15, the Sammamish City Council unanimously passed a motion to disburse $231,750 in grants to 14 nonprofits that serve residents who have been affected by COVID-19.
Organizations that provide a range of services were accepted in this funding round. The list included Youth Eastside Services, which offers mental health assistance to youth, Eastside Legal Assistance Program, which funds legal aid to low-income residents and domestic violence victims, and Eastside Baby Corner, which provides diapers and other baby supplies to families in need.
“These providers cover a variety of areas including senior mental health, eviction rental assistance, food, domestic violence services, and other important areas,” Mike Sugg, a senior management analyst for the City of Sammamish, said during the council meeting.
The City had previously disbursed a much smaller amount of funding, totaling $83,000 across two rounds, to only four organizations: St. Vincent de Paul, Eastside Friends of Seniors, Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank and Hopelink. These four organizations continue to be funded, while 10 more nonprofits were added to the list in this latest round.
These grants came out of the City’s general fund, but are eligible for reimbursement through the federal government’s Coronavirus Aids, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The City must apply for the reimbursement with Washington state’s Department of Commerce, which administers the program. Sammamish has a total of $2,898,540 allocated as part of the CARES Act, with a deadline of November 30 to spend all of the funds.
For the full list of organizations funded in this round, please go here, and scroll to page 160.
