Maps Community Foundation Lends Helping Hand To Local Nonprofits During Pandemic (Photo) -07/21/20

Foundation Has Awarded $78,000 to Mid-Valley Groups Since Early March

(SALEM, Ore., July 21, 2020) – Since early March, Maps Community Foundation, the member-supported philanthropic arm of Maps Credit Union, has distributed $78,000 to 34 nonprofits assisting Mid-Valley residents in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. 

 “We care deeply about the community,” says Foundation Executive Director Kim Hanson. “As soon as the pandemic hit, we knew we needed to get emergency funds out to nonprofit organizations working on the front lines in Marion and Polk counties.”

As part of a first wave of giving, in early March the Foundation distributed unsolicited emergency grants of $2,500 to eight organizations serving Mid-Valley residents.  Groups that received funding included: AWARE Food Bank Woodburn, Mano-a-Mano, Marion-Polk Food Share, Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency – ARCHES Program, Polk County Service Integration Team, Santiam Service Integration Program,  Silverton Area Community Aid, and United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley.

“As schools and workplaces closed, our local nonprofits were inundated with requests for emergency food boxes, supplies and financial assistance,” says Hanson. “We selected these groups because they knew where the greatest needs were in our community and how best to help. We wanted to support their efforts as quickly as possible.” 

To broaden its efforts after the initial emergency grants were issued, the Foundation established the Maps Community Recovery Fund.

 “Once it became clear that we were only at the beginning of the crisis, we wanted to do more,” says Hanson. “Through the Maps Community Recovery Fund we have been able to provide support to an even wider range of organizations, using a responsive and equitable process.”

Maps Lends Helping Hand                                                                                                     

Applications were accepted on a rolling basis, with Hanson and three Maps Credit Union employees reviewing requests weekly so that funds could be issued right away.  In the last few months, awards from $500 to $2,500 have been made to a diverse group of organizations providing a range of vital services.  

Grants were earmarked for a variety of purposes, from helping organizations continue services while socially distant, to providing emergency food assistance, and supporting children, families and individuals experiencing homelessness, abuse, anxiety, or depression exacerbated by isolation and stress. Some grants helped off-set revenue losses due to canceled events and fundraisers. 

“Community give-back is a key priority of Maps and the Foundation,” says Hanson. “Our hope is that these grants have made a real difference to local nonprofits and their ability to meet the rising need.” 

ARCHES, a program of the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, received an emergency grant of $2,500 to address the impacts of COVID-19 and provide services for the unsheltered in our community. 

“We are thankful for the support provided by Maps Community Foundation,” says Program Director Ashley Hamilton. “These are hard times for everyone. Maps’ confidence in us to supply basic needs services to our most vulnerable neighbors speaks not only to their generosity, but also their heart.” 

As of July 2020, Maps Community Foundation has awarded $78,000 in grants to the following 34 organizations: 

• After School Activities Program – Silverton
• Assistance League of Salem-Keizer
• AWARE Food Bank – Woodburn
• Boys and Girls Club of Salem, Marion and Polk Counties
• CASA of Marion County
• Catholic Community Services of the Mid-Willamette Valley 
• Center for Hope and Safety
• Family Building Blocks
• Family Promise of the Mid-Willamette Valley
• GeerCrest Farm and Historical Society
• Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Willamette Valley
• Liberty House
• Mano-a-Mano
• Marion-Polk Food Share
• Micronesian Islander Community
• Mid-Valley Literacy Center
• Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency – ARCHES
• North Marion Services Team
• Options Counseling and Family Services
• Polk County Service Integration Team
• Project Able
• Sable House
• Salem Harvest
• Salem-Keizer Coalition for Equality
• Salem-Keizer Education Foundation
• Salem Leadership Foundation
• Santiam Service Integration Program
• Silverton Area Community Aid
• Silverton Small Business Relief Fund
• Stayton Regional Small Business Relief Fund
• The Inspire Foundation
• Union Gospel Mission 
• United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley
• Willamette Heritage Center

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About Maps Community Foundation
Maps Community Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Maps Credit Union, a member-owned financial cooperative with more than 68,000 members and 10 branch locations in Salem, Keizer, Monmouth, Woodburn, Silverton, and Stayton. The Maps Community Foundation was established in 2010 with a mission to strengthen and support the Mid-Willamette Valley region.  Programs include: scholarships, teacher and community grants, financial education, and nonprofit event sponsorship. The Foundation is funded through Maps Credit Union, which invests one penny each time a member swipes a Maps Free Community Checking debit card. In 2019, members generated more than $94,000 to be distributed locally through the Maps Community Foundation.