In March, at the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Granville Community Foundation made the decision to direct all of its 2020 grants and donations to local non-profit organizations and individuals being impacted directly by the pandemic. To assist the community during this time of uncertainty, the GCF established two funds: The Carl Frazier Fund and the GCF General Fund.
The Carl Frazier Fund disperses emergency funds to residents who live or work in the Granville Exempted Village School District and are in need of emergency assistance. These needs include, but are not limited to, rent, temporary housing funds, and utility and/or food vouchers as a result of the pandemic crisis. The Carl Frazier Fund is administered through the Licking County Coalition for Housing. To date, GCF has provided over $30,000 in emergency support to the Licking County Coalition for Housing to support individuals and families who live and/or work in Granville.
The GCF General Fund supports non-profits and public or quasi-public agencies who are in need of emergency assistance as a result of the pandemic and are helping our community in this time of need. Through the General Fund, the GCF has thus far had the privilege of supporting the following initiatives:
Providing funding to the "Stitchin' Babes" of St. Luke's to purchase supplies to make protective masks for village workers and associates in local non-profit organizations;
Invested in the "Granville Is Open" video and marketing materials launched by the Granville Area Chamber of Commerce to help rebuild and sustain our business community;
Approved funds for supplies to enable the Granville Parents Cooperative Preschool to reopen safely in the fall including PPE for teachers, hand sanitizer station, an air purifier and infrared thermometers;
Contributed to the purchase of hand sanitizer stations and electrostatic disinfecting equipment for public spaces at Bryn Du Mansion campus.
Most recently, the GCF has partnered with the Granville Area Chamber of Commerce to support their grant request to purchase 5,000 disposable face masks for the community. The masks will be distributed to village and township merchants, including the Granville Public Library and other indoor venues where social distancing is not possible. "We have respectfully watched local entities struggle to keep their doors open and protect their patrons and employees from the pandemic," said Angela Katona, GCF Board President. "Through this grant with the Chamber, we hope to provide yet another level of support to protect the health of Granvillians and visitors to our Village and Township."
"We are pleased to partner with the Granville Community Foundation to provide these masks to our community," said Steve Matheny, Executive Director of the Granville Area Chamber of Commerce. "It is our hope that this gift to the Village will have a positive effect, offsetting a financial burden to local entities and helping to prevent the spread of Covid-19; this gesture is one way we can support our friends and neighbors, and help us to keep Granville great."
The Granville Community Foundation continues to ask for your support of the Carl Frazier Fund and the general GCF fund. For more information on the Granville Community Foundation, to make a gift, or to apply for a pandemic-related grant, please visit our website at granvillecommunityfoundation. org. You may also direct questions and requests to our Director of Operations by sending an email to granvillecommunityfoundation@gmail.com.
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