Photo credit: Howard Lui
Like many other nonprofit organizations, The Health Trust—which operates the Meals on Wheels program serving Santa Clara County—has been working round the clock to help those in need during this pandemic. In the last several weeks, The Health Trust has increased its Meals on Wheels deliveries fivefold, dropping off more than 11,000 meals per week to residents. Demand continues to grow, according to Michele Lew, CEO of The Health Trust.
As unemployment rates skyrocket, many Americans in Silicon Valley – and across the country – are struggling to meet their most basic needs while also dealing with the looming health threats of the novel coronavirus. More people who were at risk even before the crisis—like homebound seniors and individuals with compromised immune systems—are now relying on the Health Trust to safely get food. The Health Trust has ramped up its operations to meet these needs, but not without facing great obstacles. Many volunteers—vital to service operations— have had to shelter in place due COVID-19. The Health Trust has restructured its operations to fill in the gaps among volunteers and meet shifting safety regulations, all while dealing with increased demand for their services.
For Corin, a supervisor at the Health Trust who oversees the daily operations for the Meals on Wheels program, 12-hour workdays have become the norm. The program relies heavily on Corin’s steady leadership and expertise during this challenging time. Corin has a 9-year-old son who is susceptible to COVID-19 because of his existing health conditions. Because Corin is proud to be of service to Meals on Wheels and does not want to jeopardize his son’s health, he has chosen to live temporarily in a nearby hotel so he can continue working and still protect his family. Despite the hardships of this separation, Corin forges ahead on the front lines of service for Meals on Wheels.
SVCF’s Regional Nonprofit Emergency Fund provides flexible operating support grants to help nonprofit organizations such as The Health Trust adapt to the new realities caused by COVID-19. As of May 11, the fund had granted out $5.2 million to Bay Area organizations. Grant funding helps The Health Trust continue its mission to safely deliver food to those who need it and support employees like Corin who are making tremendous personal sacrifices to ensure that the organization can continue operations and serve others.
Check out the list of nonprofit organizations that have received grants from our Regional Nonprofit Emergency Fund. The list is being updated regularly.
In the coming weeks, we will feature more stories of local heroes—donors, nonprofits, businesses—to highlight the power of our community coming together and helping lift each other out of this crisis.
To learn more about our COVID-19 response funds and to donate, click here.