The Highland Community Foundation announced today approval of four donations to NW Indiana nonprofits in order to provide assistance and relief during the ongoing COVID-19 emergency.
Donations, totaling $3,000, were approved to the following organizations:
• $1000 to Food Bank of Northwest Indiana to fund a Mobile Market event at Warren School on April 29th.
• $1000 to the Food Pantry of Highland’s St James the Less Catholic Church.
• $750 to Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana to assist in covering expenses related to meals provided to Highland residents.
• $250 to TradeWinds Services for their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Program.
“During this ongoing pandemic, HCF wanted assist these great organizations who are on the front lines of helping Highland residents in need,” Foundation President Lance Ryskamp said. “While it is a modest sum in comparison to the tremendous need, we were pleased to be able to free up and re-purpose funds immediately to do our part to help.”
Ryskamp noted with all of the government and nonprofit resources being used for COVID-19 relief, the Foundation’s primary focus was food assistance. “Food is not a once or twice a month expense, but is a day-to-day need to survive,” Ryskamp said. He said the Foundation added support to the TradeWinds PPE Program to assist them in their work helping NW Indiana hospital and health care workers. “Even though the scope of TradeWinds’ work was bigger than just Highland,” Ryskamp said. “We wanted to help, even if it is in a small way, their great efforts to get frontline health care workers the protection they need and deserve.”
To help free up funding for these donations, the Foundation Board has rescinded indefinitely the grant cycle approved recently for another round of “Highland Has Art” grants.