United Way of Elkhart & LaGrange Counties Receives $1.5 Million Grant for COVID-19 Relief

United Way of Elkhart & LaGrange Counties has been approved to receive a $1.5 million COVID-19 Economic Relief Initiative Grant, made possible through a partnership between Lilly Endowment, Inc. and Indiana United Ways.  These funds will be used to support programs that serve families affected by COVID-19.  Significant funds from the grant will be used to boost United Way’s current response efforts: the COVID-19 Community Response Fund, a partnership with the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, and the Good Samaritan Fund, a partnership with the LaGrange County Community Foundation.  The grant will also be used to develop new programs to assist working families as they recover from the economic impact of the pandemic.

“United Way of Elkhart and Lagrange Counties is so very grateful for what this grant will do for our communities.  Even before this crisis, we knew that one in four families in our counties were not able to make ends meet – despite working.  Without a robust local nonprofit safety net, those needs are bound to become even more dire,” said United Way Board Chair, Shannon Klein.  “Thanks to the generous support from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., we are now more strongly positioned to help our community’s nonprofits deal with both the immediate impacts of COVID-19 and long-term recovery.”

United Way of Elkhart & LaGrange Counties will use the COVID-19 Economic Relief Initiative Grant to meet basic needs and to address other critical issues as they emerge. Nonprofit organizations on the frontline responding to the COVID-19 crisis are encouraged to apply for grants through the two existing funds.  Elkhart County nonprofits can apply for a grant from the COVID-19 Community Response Fund via United Way or the Community Foundation of Elkhart County’s website.  LaGrange County nonprofits can apply for funds from the Good Samaritan Fund at the LaGrange County Community Foundation’s website.