I hope you and your family are safe and well. Daily we are reminded of our mission, Connecting People Who Care with Causes that Matter. As we support our extended non-profit community, we are reminded of the daily challenges so many of our community members and organizations face on the front lines of this pandemic and crisis.
The Community Foundation of Lorain County will host Connect to a Cause, a coordinated, 12-hour fundraising event, on
September 17, 2020, from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm,
to rally the community to support 50+ local non-profit organizations. Community members will have the chance to support non-profit organizations that are significant to THEM!
Online donations will be accepted starting September 17 at 8:00 am. Checks can be dropped off or mailed to the Community Foundation: 9080 Leavitt Rd. Elyria, OH 44035, NOW!
Kick-Off to Connect to a Cause
Join our Hispanic Fund, an affiliate fund of the Community Foundation of Lorain County, as they kick-off Connect to a Cause on Wednesday, September 16th, at 6:00 pm via Zoom. The Hispanic Fund will be announcing its 2020 grantees, giving updates, and setting the stage for the Community Foundation's first-ever day of giving.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact Rachel Ocasio, Office Relationship Manager, at 440.984.7390 or rocasio@peoplewhocare.org
Racial Equity Fund
The Community Foundation of Lorain County has created a Racial Equity Fund in an effort to build and support a Lorain County Coalition around issues of Racial Equity.
The Community Foundation of Lorain County invites non-profit organizations to help us deepen our work in promoting racial equity. Our Board of Directors has created a Racial Equity Fund to support the transformation of structures and systems with the goal of providing access and equal experiences.
The first application deadline is October 1. Grants will be made on a rolling basis with more information to come. Organizations can apply for up to $25,000. A Community Advisory Committee will review each application.
Thank you to Leadership Lorain County for matching Sydney with us this summer!
Hi, I am Sydney Krauth, the Leadership Lorain County intern that spent the summer at the Community Foundation of Lorain County. I am currently studying marketing at the University of Cincinnati. This summer, I gained hands-on experience working behind the scenes to plan and implement multiple virtual and in-person events.
In my first week, I helped design the first-ever 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting that 100+ community members attended. I also took the lead on planning the 2020 Scholarship Recipient Drive-thru Celebration with 38 scholarship attendees attending. Lastly, I did a lot of work preparing for the upcoming Connect to a Cause, virtual crowdfunding event that will take place on Thursday, September 17th. I designed toolkits for each participating organization, including everything they need to promote for this big give day successfully, templates, scripts, and social media graphics posts.
This summer, there was a big learning curve with navigating event planning and social distancing. Still, we persevered, and all of our events were a success! I created many marketing materials and social media posts using new design software like Illustrator and Canva. I also scheduled out content for social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram using the graphics I created. I got to develop skills related to marketing while interacting with the Lorain County community this summer. I truly enjoyed my internship this summer, and believe it was a success! I am so grateful I got the opportunity to be a part of such a great organization this summer.
The 2020 Census is happening now and your response matters! Census results determine how billions of federal dollars flow, supporting everything from school construction to road and bridge repairs to public services like police and fire departments. Lorain County currently has only a 73.3% response rate. Help us get the federal funds we need to build a stronger community by completing the Census today at 2020census.gov or by calling 1-844-330-2020.
Starting July 30, census takers will begin interviewing households in our area.
In 2020, voting is unlike anything we have experienced before. Start today. Check your voter registration and make a plan to vote.
Click here to check your voter registration in Ohio. Click hereto register to vote online. Click hereto request your ballot by mail.
COVID-19 Response Fund
The Lorain County COVID-19 Response Fund was established by funders in Lorain County to deploy much-needed resources to organizations that work with people and communities that may be most adversely impacted by COVID-19.
The Fund has three priority areas which are:
Emergency Assistance/Basic Needs (including assistance to our senior population)
Education and Youth Services (including arts & culture programs)
Infrastructure (including digital inclusion)
All partners are encouraging individual donors, companies, additional funders, and organizations to contribute to the Lorain County COVID-19 Response Fund via peoplewhocare.org. Donations of any amount are welcome, and all contributions qualify as charitable deductions. The group is actively seeking additional partners to contribute to the fund.
In 2002, Ohio became the first state in the nation to enact a law (“Karon’s Law”), allowing medical institutions to donate unused prescription medications to medical clinics to be redistributed to those in need. In 2004, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy developed a drug repository program and established rules for eligibility, handling, quality assurance, and redistribution costs. The repository began with a cautious start, as other industry participants, and legal and regulatory advisors, stepped forward to review the nation’s first formalized drug redistribution program.
Here in Lorain County, the Coalition for the Uninsured began investigating drug repositories. The Coalition is a network of non-profit organizations and members including the Free Clinic, Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, Lorain County Health and Dentistry, Lorain County Jobs and Family Services, the Office on Aging, Lorain County Public Health, Medworks, the Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board of Lorain County, Mercy Health, Nord Center, Nord Family Foundation, University Hospital Elyria, Cleveland Clinic, and United Way.
In 2006, the Coalition created a drug repository program with the assistance of Lorain County Public Health. The Coalition reached out to healthcare institutions, physicians, and organizations serving low-income residents, encouraging them to refer eligible patients. The most requested medications are for asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. No surprise, since the leading cause of death among Americans is heart disease. Patients who qualified for financial assistance received free medications paid by grants. The cost of the redistribution for each prescription is $15.
Since 2007, through your generous financial support, the Community Foundation of Lorain County has provided over $250K in grant support for the drug repository.
Since most people get their healthcare benefits through their employers, the rising unemployment due to COVID-19 increased demands on the drug repository. In December 2019, through the generosity of the LifeShare Legacy Fund, we granted $39K to the drug repository with Nord Family Foundation later matched our contribution. As of July 2020, the drug repository is on track to save patients an estimated $400K in 2020. This is the amount that patients would have paid commercial pharmacies if no drug repository existed. Our grant of $38K earned a phenomenal 932 percent return on investment and saved lives at the same time despite the volatility of the stock market and mounting pandemic fatalities!
Women's Fund
Technology Drop-off
Thursday, August 27, 2020, from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
at Parker's Grille & Tavern in Avon Lake
The Women's Fund will be collecting gently-used electronics for PCs for People, an organization that refurbishes computers for distribution to eligible recipients for little cost.
For more information, please contact Missy Timko, Data Management Fellow, mtimko@peoplewhocare.org, or 440.984.7390
Black History Trivia: Youth Edition
On August 6th, youth from across the county gathered to test their knowledge on Black History. Thanks to the African American Community Fund and the Lorain County Urban League for hosting this great event.
Youth Fund Recruiting
Do you know a student in 8th-12th grade that is passionate about our community? The Youth Fund is recruiting members for the 2020-2021 school year.
Students will TAKE ACTION on the issues in your school and the community that is important to you.
BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.
SERVE AS A COMMUNITY LEADER and award grants that will improve the quality of life for youth in Lorain County.
For more information, email Angela Lee, at alee@peoplewhocare.org or call 440.984.7390
Open Application
Monthly Deadline
September 1
October 1
We work tirelessly with our donors, our partners, and friends to make Lorain County the best and strongest it can be. Endowment built by you, our community, makes all of this possible. The Community Foundation wisely invests the assets of its endowment, and a percentage of those earnings provide sustainable support through grants and scholarships for our community.
Connecting People Who Care
With Causes That Matter
Do you know someone who would like a paper copy of our newsletter? If so, please email communications@peoplewhocare.org or call 440.984.7390
