Cabarrus funds $1.1 million in local COVID-19 needs
On November 2, the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners supported a request to distribute $1.1 million in Nonprofit Resiliency Grants. The grants will aid local nonprofits that help residents who’ve suffered economic hardship, instability and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The County publicized the grant opportunity in September and received 32 applications from Cabarrus agencies. A committee of County employees reviewed the applications and made the recommendation for Commissioners to fund each of the grants at the requested amount.
The funding will support services that:
- Maintain and expand educational opportunities
- Address health and wellness challenges
- Provide food assistance
- Support housing needs and provide assistance with other household expenses
“When I saw this come across it made my day,” said Board Vice Chair Diane Honeycutt. “We are able to directly impact our citizens with education, mental health, housing and food assistance—critical areas of need at this time. I’m so pleased that we could do this.”
Commissioners Lynn Shue, Blake Kiger and Chair Steve Morris echoed Vice Chair Honeycutt’s sentiments.
“To get this many applications in is tremendous,” said Commissioner Kiger. “The list shows a broad cross section of types of organizations from locations all across the county. To me, that’s the best thing about this.”
Organizations funded for the delivery of these services are:
- Boys & Girls Club of Cabarrus County ($150,295)
- Multiply Church/Cabarrus Dream Center ($123,000)
- Cabarrus Cooperative Christian Ministry (CCM) ($100,000)
- Coltrane LIFE Center, Inc. ($100,000)
- The Open Door House ($88,000)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Central Carolinas – Cabarrus ($84,580)
- El Puente Hispano ($50,000)
- The S.T.U.D.I.O. ($ 39,920)
- Community Free Clinic ($39,072)
- Elder Orphan Care ($30,000)
- Families First in Cabarrus County ($30,000)
- Rowan-Cabarrus YMCA ($27,000)
- Piedmont Residential Development Center, Inc. ($25,000)
- Cabarrus County Partnership for Children ($20,000)
- Sonshine Backpacks ($20,000)
- Present Age Ministries ($18,000)
- Cabarrus County Education Foundation ($17,505)
- Mental Health America of Central Carolinas, Inc. ($16,964)
- Cabarrus Baptist Association ($15,000)
- Logan Community Day Care Assn, Inc. ($14,080)
- Midway's Opportunity House ($13,400)
- Wings of Eagles Ranch ($13,000)
- Bond with a Vet, Inc. ($12,000)
- Carolina Christmas Angels ($10,000)
- Amazing Grace Advocacy ($9,900)
- Charity Baptist Ministries ($9,000)
- Church of the Brethren Concord Fellowship (Living Faith Church of the Brethren) ($5,000)
- Endless Opportunities ($5,000)
- Seeds of Blessings (Concord Christian Center, Inc.) ($5,000)
- Habitat for Humanity of Cabarrus County ($4,000)
- Cabarrus Meals on Wheels ($3,660)
- Mt. Pleasant Food Ministry, Inc. (Living Faith Church of the Brethren) ($3,200)
To qualify, an organization must:
- Have a 501(c) 3 nonprofit designation
- Have a Cabarrus County location
- Be current on all property taxes (if applicable)
- Not be debarred from participation in Federal, State or Local government contracts
- Purchase from local vendors as much as possible
- Operate in Cabarrus County for at least three months prior to the application date
The County has already begun to distribute the grant funds, which the organizations must spend by April 2021.
Money for the grants came indirectly from North Carolina Coronavirus Relief Funds.
The local economic impact of COVID-19
In April, the Cabarrus County unemployment rate reached an all-time high of more than 12%. This fall, The Cabarrus Convention and Visitors Bureau released a report indicating tourism is responsible for more than 4,600 local jobs and $478 million in visitor spending. Since the pandemic began, 1,400 hotel jobs have been eliminated.
Between March and September, local food pantries saw a 40% increase for requests. In that same time, Human Services added 2,211 new food assistance cases and 1,628 Medicaid assistance cases.
The County estimates 500 local households qualified for eviction in recent months. While a moratorium on evictions is currently in place, new requests for housing assistance rose 52% between March and August.
Assistance interventions for food insecurity, healthcare and childcare can help families prepare for housing payback schedules once the moratorium lifts.
For more information on the grants, email nonprofitgrants@cabarruscounty.us or call 704-920-2902.
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