SCARBOROUGH — United Way of Greater Portland has awarded over $250,000 in a second round of grants to 25 different nonprofits, organization, and faith-based groups, including Project GRACE.
Created in March, the grants come from the Greater Portland COVID-19 Community Relief Fund, said an announcement from United Way, a nonprofit organization with offices across the country.
Steffi Cox, executive director of Project GRACE, a nonprofit group based in Scarborough, said that the organization was granted $15,000 at the beginning of May.
Project GRACE’s mission is to provide assistance to residents in the area through community effort, according to their website. In an effort to support those facing difficulty during the Covid-19 situation, Project GRACE, in collaboration with the town, has created scarboroughhelps.org, offering ways to both give and receive help.
“We are very appreciative to be a United Way of Greater Portland grantee in this second round of very timely investments in keeping communities safe and whole,” Cox said. “This generous $15,000 grant comes as needs are increasing, but it also builds on our very long and successful history of working together as a community to give a neighbor a helping hand when it is most needed.”
An announcement from Project GRACE regarding the grant said that the nonprofit often works with the Scarborough Police Department and Scarborough General Assistance to provide food, shelter, and healthcare to the community’s most vulnerable.
The three groups have been working at the forefront of this crisis in order to assist those affected in the community, Lauren Dembski-Martin, SPD’s Social Services Navigator, said.
“Some needed meals or groceries, others needed a warm place to stay, while some just needed someone to listen to their fears and be reassured that it’s okay to be worried or ask for help,” she said.
The week of April 19 saw 7,400 individuals in the state filing for unemployment benefits, the Maine Department of Labor said. From March 15 to April 25, the department has paid over $200 million to eligible receivers.
René Daniel, the director of Scarborough’s General Assistance program, expressed how the grant from United Way will help Scarborough residents access relief.
“These are difficult times for everyone, and this grant from the United Way’s COVID-19 Community Relief Fund will allow us to respond to urgent and immediate needs before they escalate to a crisis stage,” she said. “These funds will provide meaningful assistance to families and individuals all across town.”
The emergency relief fund has raised over $650,000, said United Way of Greater Portland.
“The outpouring of support is a testament to the caring spirit that exists in our community,” Liz Cotter Schlax, president and CEO of the organization, said.“We are pleased to be able to quickly award grants to organizations addressing urgent needs across Cumberland County, which continue to mobilize food and supplies and provide access to safe and reliable shelter to individuals and families who desperately need it.”
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