The significant disruptions businesses are experiencing is also impacting the non-profit sector whose programs are struggling to provide critical life-saving services. At the same time, they struggle with the loss of support from events and loss of income from other services they provide.
Drew Langloh, President & CEO, United Way of Central Alabama, today announced the creation of the Community Crisis Fund. The fund will feed people, help families that are financially unstable and food insecure. It will also help other non-profits. He announced that United Way’s Board of Directors has already committed $1 million to support the fund.
All 23 United Way organizations in Alabama have also established a Community Crisis Fund.
He asked for the support of the community so that non-profits can continue to operate during the weeks and months to come. Representatives from two non-profits joined Langloh at today’s news conference, The American Red Cross and the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama.
According to Isabel Rubio, Executive Director of HICA, Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, “This is like a bombshell, “We are stressed, and there is a need for continued support and to have a structure like the Community Crisis Fund to allocate and direct targeted resources.” HICA is a community development and advocacy organization that champions efforts on behalf of Latino families in Alabama.
Langloh added that United Way’s 2-1-1 Information & Referral Center took over 3,000 calls this week from people looking for food assistance, rent assistance, and utility assistance, among other services. He also appealed for all organizations providing help in the wake of the virus outbreak, to register with 2-1-1 so that their information can be entered into the 2-1-1 database. The address is 211Connects@uwca.org.