As the coronavirus threatened to make life harder for Broward residents who already struggled to get by, the FLITE Center sprang into action.
This innovative nonprofit – dedicated to helping Broward’s young adults transition from foster care to life on their own – has launched an emergency pantry stocked with food, baby supplies, toilet paper and other much-needed essentials for day-to-day living.
In addition, the FLITE Center is providing rental assistance, utility assistance and other emergency aid to help young people who can’t rely on family support during this crisis.
“Within the first two weeks of starting the pantry, we have served over 100 youth with basic necessities,” said Maria Vo, FLITE Center Director of Business Development. “This pandemic is just hitting Broward County and the worst is yet to come.”
All across Broward, nonprofits like the FLITE Center are pivoting to respond to the damaging effects of the coronavirus. For example:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County is providing grab-and-go snacks available for pick up by club members.
- Goodman Jewish Family Services of Broward County is expanding a technology assistance program that helps holocaust survivors and other seniors connect to valuable services.
- House of Hope, which helps people overcome addiction and get back to work, is increasing outreach to help people avoid relapse during the crisis.
These are just a few examples of how nonprofits are stepping up to respond to the local effects of the coronavirus. And they are doing it with help from the Community Foundation of Broward.
In response to the coronavirus, the Community Foundation is modifying existing grants and moving up annual endowment distributions to nonprofits, which results in $3.5 million of support they can use for coronavirus relief. Fundholders with endowed charitable Funds at the Community Foundation make it possible to provide this support for nonprofits on the front lines of the local coronavirus response.
Flexible, sustained support for nonprofits is key because – just as nonprofits are innovating and adapting to help our community face this crisis – cancelled fundraisers and an anticipated drop in donations during an economic downturn threaten their ability to continue.
“This unprecedented pandemic has been a challenge and a learning opportunity,” said Sue Glasscock, House of Hope CEO. “Planned fundraising activities have been cancelled or postponed and we are unsure when stay-at-home orders will be lifted, which impacts our budgets as revenue drops. … Ideally there will be some philanthropic efforts to provide unrestricted funds that can make up the budget shortfall.”
Broward needs more local philanthropy to sustain and grow House of Hope and all the local nonprofits that will help our community through this crisis and beyond.
The Community Foundation offers several types of endowed charitable Funds that you can use to support the good work of nonprofits today – and fuel long-term solutions for our community forever.
Click here to learn how you can take advantage of new federal tax incentives that make this the perfect time to increase your charitable giving with an endowed charitable Fund at the Community Foundation.
To talk about how your philanthropy through the Community Foundation can help Broward during this crisis and beyond, contact Vice President of Philanthropic Services Nancy Thies at nthies@cfbroward.org or 954-761-9503.
