The Coastal Credit Union Foundation has announced that it will provide a community relief package, in the form of $500,000 in unrestricted grants, to several area nonprofits. These grants will be used to provide community assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was important to us that we make these funds unrestricted,” said Chuck Purvis, Coastal’s President & CEO. “The situation is fluid, and the community needs are changing rapidly. The response needs to be just as nimble, and we have complete confidence in our nonprofit partners to decide how to use the money the best way possible.”
The package includes a $100,000 grant to the newly-created NC Restaurant Relief Fund, an initiative that was created to help local restaurant employees who have been hit hard by business closures aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus.
Coastal’s Foundation is also supporting the following local nonprofits:
• Durham Community Land Trust
• EmPOWERment Inc.
• Families Together
• Inter-faith Food Shuttle
• Meals on Wheels of Wake County
• Passage Home
• TABLE Chapel Hill
• Triangle Family Services
• Urban Ministries of Durham
• United Way Rapid Response Fund
The foundation selected the organizations based on their capability of immediately putting funds to work in the communities we serve, to help people who have been affected by the various impacts of COVID-19.
“All were recommended in our conversations with local leaders who helped us identify organizations that can help the most, right away,” said Willard Ross, Foundation Chair. “These are organizations who we already know are making a strong impact in the community, and who are seeing a steep increase in the demand for the services that they already provide every day.”
“This is just the first phase,” added Ross. “As the situation evolves and the impact changes, we’re going to entertain new requests and actively explore more opportunities to contribute over the coming weeks and months.”
Local nonprofits who have needs related to COVID-19 should contact Creighton Blackwell, Coastal’s VP, Corporate Affairs & Community Engagement at cblackwell@coastal24.com.
Coastal Credit Union also donated its supply of 1,000 N95 masks to WakeMed hospitals.