The SJI Community Foundation continues to work closely with nonprofits and other county services to ensure a coordinated response to the COVID-19 crisis. To create a publicly accessible resource for both residents and nonprofit services, SJICF has launched the San Juan Island Community Response Hub website.
This site is maintained by SJICF but updated by many local nonprofits working daily to meet the needs of our community. Residents can get service information, post a need, donate funds or items, and sign up to volunteer – all in one place. All needs and volunteer profiles are confidential and 100% of donations go directly to the nonprofits. In addition to coordination efforts, SJICF continues to collect and distribute donations to the SJICF Emergency Response Fund. These generous contributions are already in the community making a difference! Following is a summary of the latest grants distributed by SJICF to meet needs arising from COVID-19:
Household Assistance
To date, granted $42,000 in emergency funding to the SJI Family Resource Center. As demand for services continues to grow, these funds will provide urgent short-term financial assistance, behavioral health support and household needs to residents experiencing loss of income related to COVID-19.
Food Security
A $3,800 grant was made to the SJI Agricultural Guild to help implement a Food Hub, a service that connects residents with local growers to provide food security. $2,000 was granted to the SJI Food Co-op to install protective plexiglass for cashier staff.
An additional $23,000 has been distributed from SJICF fundholders to the Friday Harbor Food Bank, Safe San Juans, SJ Community Home Trust, SJI Agricultural Guild, and the SJI Family Resource Center.
Carrie Unpingco, Executive Director of SJICF, adds “Our primary focus is on generating funds and distributing them as efficiently as possible to the nonprofit service providers on SJI. When we first established the SJICF Emergency Response Fund, our goal was to raise $100,000 in the first few weeks and an additional $150,000 in the following month. I’m thrilled to report that a total of $170,000 has been contributed to date! The generosity of our community is astounding as we strive to meet the financial, emotional, and basic household needs of our friends and neighbors during this crisis.”
To donate to the SJICF Emergency Response Fund, go to sjicf.org. If you prefer to donate by check, you can mail it to SJICF, PO Box 1352, Friday Harbor.
SJICF is dedicated to improving and enriching the quality of life on our island by encouraging philanthropy, growing an endowment for purposeful grants to community charitable organizations, and building partnerships that effectively connect donors with island nonprofit organizations and their projects.
For more information, call Carrie Unpingco at 360-378-1001 or visit sjicf.org.