ST. MARYS — In response to the ongoing pandemic, the Elk County Community Foundation has established the COVID-19 Assistance Fund. The foundation announced its first grant distribution of $1,500 to the Wilcox Public Library.
The COVID-19 Assistance Fund is made up of public donations, and the foundation invites donors to join in this effort. By pooling local funds, local groups and individuals can collectively support community nonprofits and make a bigger impact on their needs.
The Elk County Community Foundation will waive administrative fees on all donations and will distribute 100% of all donations to those agencies in need by an open grant process.
Since mid-March the Wilcox Library building has been closed, but the library is currently supplying eBooks, digital audiobooks, online classes and databases through a variety of suppliers, and they are continuing to explore more offerings. In addition, the library has gathered multiple digital resources to support the area’s at-home learning students. The library’s website at www.wilcoxlibrary.org has some resources, as does the Wilcox Public Library Facebook page.
With the closure of the library, they have not been able to perform their fundraising events or annual letter campaign so with this small grant the Community Foundation hopes to help them through this unusual time.
The Community Foundation will administer grants from the COVID-19 Assistance Fund to nonprofit organizations in Elk County that are serving the vulnerable populations. Like the Wilcox Public Library, support may also be given to nonprofits who have seen detrimental impacts to their fiscal and administrative operation as a result of a loss of revenue, fundraising, or staffing, with focus on education and health care throughout Elk County.
Donations to this new fund can be mailed to the Elk County Community Foundation at P.O. Box 934, St. Marys, PA, 15857, with check made payable to the ECCF — COVID-19 Assistance Fund. Online donations will also be accepted through the foundation’s website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org. Use the Donate Now button on the top of the page and indicate the COVID-19 Assistance Fund as the fund name.
For questions about applying for a grant or making a donation to the Fund, feel free to contact the foundation office at 814-834-2125.
