COVID Grants and Highlights

FamilyAid Boston, a grantee of the Roy A. Hunt Foundation since 1979, is the largest agency focused solely on homeless children and parents in Boston. Its employees have been working tirelessly to mitigate the effects of the current of COVID-19 crisis on the ever-increasing numbers of homeless children and parents. They continue to provide emergency supplies consisting of food, diapers, personal hygiene products, and cleaning supplies to these families, virtually all of whom no longer have sufficient income due to school and daycare closures, as well as layoffs. Since March, they have delivered 5 tons of food to 1,600 children and parents each week. The RAHF grant has helped Family Aid Boston with these efforts.

Grow Pittsburgh’s mission is to teach people how to grow food and promote the benefits gardens bring to local neighborhoods. An overwhelming need for food security during this time has moved Grow Pittsburgh to expand their efforts to safely grow and distribute produce. People are also reaching out wanting to learn how to grow food for their families to realize food security, save money, and reduce anxiety through gardening. The Roy A. Hunt Foundation’s grant helped safely provide fresh local food to vulnerable community members through the establishment of no-contact farm stands in Braddock, Homewood, and the Hill District, as well as through produce deliveries to senior centers.

The Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center is a federally qualified health center providing health care and wellness support in the neighborhoods of Dorchester, Mattapan and Roxbury in the City of Boston. Harvard Street is committed to the public wellness of the communities they serve through their vigorous, multifaceted health care services and programs; from preventive medicine such as free health education classes and screenings, to advanced treatment methods to fight chronic diseases. Harvard Street has provided services for more than one million patient visits to persons from over 37 zip codes. One in three patients speaks a language other than English and almost 70 percent are at or below the federal poverty level of $25,750 for a family of four. The pandemic has caused a significant increase in requests for food to feed families, health insurance, and supplies to protect individuals and families from COVID-19. Harvard Street has developed a contact tracing and mobile testing program which allows them to test people from the community so that they can protect themselves and their families from contracting the deadly virus. The Hunt Foundation’s grant assisted in these community efforts and purchased additional PPE and supplies.

Workers in the food and beverage industry are facing massive, sustained income loss due to the periodic closures and reduced capacity of dine-in facilities in Pennsylvania. While social distancing and stay-at-home measures are necessary to preserve the health and safety of all, low-income workers across our region have been left without income or financial support. The mission of PRWA is to provide the Pittsburgh community of restaurant, bar, and hospitality workers with aid and necessary resources, such as small cash grants and the delivery of grocery and household items. These resources are vital through the current Covid-19 crisis and economic recovery, as workers in the industry often face financial instability and lack of benefits such as employer-provided health coverage, paid leave, or sustaining wages. Restaurants, bars, and venues are important cultural hubs of the community, and integral to the vibrancy and livability of the Pittsburgh area. The Roy A. Hunt Foundation’s grant provided general operating support to PRWA during these unprecedented times.