Jenny Collins, executive director of Visiting Nurses, talks about the non-profit's new medical equipment bank during a 2014 tour of the thrift store's Pearl Street location in Centralia.
The Chehalis Foundation has awarded $20,000 in grants to organizations providing “critical support services for local families impacted by the novel coronavirus outbreak and response,” according to a news release from the organization.
The foundation is contributing $10,000 each to the Visiting Nurses Foundation and to the Boys & Girls Club of Chehalis.
“We are blessed to have a strong support system and a committed community equipped to serve families in these unprecedented times,” said Chehalis Foundation President Tim Sayler. “While The Chehalis Foundation normally takes a long-term view of investments needed to serve our community, this situation called for an immediate response to support critical service providers. We are pleased, through the generosity of Chehalis Foundation donors, to be in a position to help support people on the front lines of this epidemic and maintain the health and wellbeing of families to get through this challenging experience.”
The Visiting Nurses Foundation in the past few weeks has delivered meals and critical supplies to people who are medically fragile, in hospice care, are wheelchair bound or immunocompromised.
“We are so grateful to The Chehalis Foundation and its board members,” said Jenny Collins, executive director of Visiting Nurses. “Their generous donation will allow us to provide more than 1,250 additional meals to the medically fragile and immune compromised during this unprecedented time of need in our community.”
The Boys and Girls Club of Chehalis is currently providing full-day, camp-style support for kids with parents or guardians who work in healthcare, serve as first responders, or fill other essential roles.
“We are truly honored to have received this incredible gift from the Foundation,” said Lauren Day, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Chehalis. “Their support helps to ensure that some of our most important community employees can continue to show up to work and know that their child is in a safe and supportive environment. Not only does this gift support those incredible individuals who put their own health at risk to keep the rest of us safe, but it also helps ensure that our Club team can continue to help families now and in the future when school starts again.”
The Boy & Girls Club has partnered with the Chehalis School District to ensure that each child gets breakfast, lunch and snacks and are giving access to grade-appropriate learning packets and online resources.
The Chehalis Foundation is not soliciting donations for the COVID-19 response but encourages people to contribute directly to the Boys & Girls Club, Visiting Nurses or the United Way of Lewis County.
