Family Pride Awarded Grant to Help Meet Basic Needs
In March, families in Ohio were quarantined. People lost jobs, children finished school at home, and seniors became isolated. By April, families who were previously just barely keeping their heads above water, began to suffer. Struggling to pay for meals, utilities, clothing, and housing, clients pulled away from needed mental health care because they simply couldn’t afford one more thing. Seniors, the highest risk population through Covid-19, have isolated themselves at home and nursing homes to reduce exposure.
We knew we had to help! Family Pride was awarded funding by the Cleveland Foundation Rapid Response Fund and the Federal Communications Commission. We utilized a case-management, outreach service model with funding supported by the Ohio Children Trust Fund to talk to all of our clients and see how we could help.
Family Pride used this funding to meet the many growing and changing needs of our clients and families. We paid for food, clothing, utilities, transportation, home repair, technology, and housing payments for more than 70 clients and their families. Also, we purchased 10 laptops and tablets to start a technology lending library for clients who needed telehealth services but could not afford the cost of technology.
We at Family Pride know that it is difficult to maintain one’s emotional well-being when basic needs are not met. We are happy that we can be there to help and we will continue to work to find the needed funding, and advocate for our clients and their families!