CARTERVILLE (WSIL) -- The Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund announced a second round of grants for nonprofit organizations that are serving communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eighteen nonprofits from throughout the state will share $4.85 million in grant funding, bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars to southern Illinois.
"We have many counties that have the highest poverty rates all over the state, so it was not difficult to come up with 23 counties that needed help," said Jo Poshard, co-founder of the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children.
In an online press conference discussing a $300,000 grant awarded through the COVID-19 Response Fund, the Poshard Foundation co-founders, Jo and Glenn Poshard, said the money will go out as quickly as it comes in.
"It's just imperative that we get this out and we get it out quickly," said Glenn Poshard. "Especially under these circumstances because food, clothing, all these things are big items to these families that are under duress right now."
On top of the state's COVID grant, the Foundation's annual Spring Grant combine to equal $400,000 heading to a network of 34 area agencies serving children and families in need.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Illinois is on that list of agencies, and CEO Tina Carpenter said with the increase in needs provided by their services, those funds are invaluable.
"Our kids, our families are suffering right now," said Carpenter. "It's a tough time for all sorts of families."
The Club regularly hosts activities and meals after school, but now those services have undergone the changes required for offsite engagements, and produced a spike in the number of meals provided each week.
Carpenter said the funding from the grant ensures programs like the Club continue, and its social workers stay on the job.
"This is a tough time for kids that are at risk, in that, if they're in an unstable home where there's abuse," said Carpenter. "Going to school, coming to the club is a way for them to either escape that environment for a short period of time or to be able to tell someone what's going on, and that's just not there right now."
The Poshard's founders said this time of separation creates more issues and more stress inside unstable homes, with Jo Poshard adding, "It just creates more issues for families, so, if we can relieve any of that by what we're doing here, that's our goal."
The foundation said with its volunteer staff, all grant funding makes its way towards children and families in southern Illinois.
