Responding to Local Needs

Lined up for food distribution -Photo courtesy TrueNorth CS

Community Foundation Awards First Grants from Community Response Fund


​Fremont Area Community Foundation recently announced the first grants from the newly created Community Response Fund. The fund was established to rapidly deploy resources to organizations serving vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19.

A total of $142,695 has been awarded so far to nine organizations serving Newaygo County residents. Grant funds will help these organizations address identified needs, including food insecurity, childcare, and mental health counseling.

TrueNorth Community Services received a grant to respond to a sharp increase in demand for food pantry supplies and weekend food packs for local students. The organization supplied pre-packed boxes of food to twice the usual number of households at its mobile food pantry on March 24. The organization’s PowerPack program supplies weekend shelf-stable food backpacks to students in Grant, Hesperia, and White Cloud and has significantly increased its supplies since schools closed on March 16.

Newaygo County Regional Educational Service Agency (NC RESA) received a grant to open new daycare spots for children whose caregivers are in essential workforce industries such as healthcare, postal services, and law enforcement. With many private, home-based childcare providers suspending service due to safety and social distancing practices, NC RESA’s disaster relief childcare centers allow parents to still fulfill their essential duties during the crisis.

“We know that many of our local nonprofit partners are facing challenges and an increased need for services right now that none of us could have predicted even a month ago,” said Carla Roberts, Community Foundation president and CEO. “These organizations are responding quickly, creatively, and compassionately to the needs facing our most vulnerable neighbors. The Community Response Fund is one important way that the Community Foundation and generous donors can support them.”

All information related to the Community Response Fund can be found at facommunityfoundation.org/covid, including a full list of grants awarded and information for organizations interested in applying for a grant.

Community members who are interested in making a donation to support the relief efforts in Newaygo County or in the counties served by FACF’s geographic affiliates—Lake, Mecosta, and Osceola—can give using the same link. 

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