Latest Round Of Wellesley Coronavirus Funding Supports Kids

WELLESLEY, MA — After taking a few weeks off from grant making to focus on fundraising and reinvigorating, the Wellesley COVID-19 Relief Fund is announcing new grant awards totaling

$10,300.

The new grant awards will provide weekly hot meals for families experiencing food insecurity, create safe activities and additional jobs for local teens, and protect senior citizens and medically vulnerable residents.

The Wellesley COVID-19 Relief Fund was established six months ago and has granted nearly $112,000 to date to local non-profits and town departments to develop programs and activities to meet unprecedented needs in the community caused by COVID-19.

“We continue to see great need in the community due to the pandemic, and we are thankful for everyone who is supporting our community wide efforts," said Jamie Ebersole, Chair of the Community Fund for Wellesley.

In week 20 of the COVID-19 Relief Fund, grants totaling $10,300 were awarded to support:

• Youth employment for COVID-19 related jobs: The town’s Green Shirts program will continue this fall, as the Recreation Department received money to continue to fund jobs for nearly 50 local high school and college students who are assisting with election mailings, monitoring library entrances, staffing online recreation programs, and delivering hot meals to families and senior citizens. Many of the teens depend on these jobs to offset school costs.

• Halloween mobile movie night: The Youth Commission and Recreation Department received money to extend the Town’s successful Mobile Movie night program, funding the set-up and operation of a special Halloween-themed youth movie night to be held on Tuesday, October 27, and an additional movie night that was held in early September.

• Hot meals program for families facing food insecurity: The Health Department received funds to continue the weekly hot meals program for local families, one of the original initiatives of the Wellesley COVID-19 Relief Fund. Families are identified by health, school or social services officials at risk for food insecurity. 125 hot meals prepared by local restaurants will be delivered to families once a week for the next month to help support them as they adjust to back-to-school/remote learning challenges.

• Masks for high-risk residents: The Fire Department received money to purchase an additional 900 KN95 masks for senior citizens and medically vulnerable residents to wear when outside of homes for doctor appointments, grocery store trips, and other high-risk activities. This brings the total number of KN95 masks purchased to 1,800, since the onset of the pandemic.

The Relief Fund is a partnership between the Community Fund for Wellesley, an endowed fund of the Foundation for MetroWest, a tax-exempt 501(c) 3 organization, and the Wellesley Board of Selectmen. One hundred percent of donations are returned to the community and directly benefit all residents. Continued financial support for these programs and many others is critical to keep Wellesley residents safe as fall and winter months approach with no end to the pandemic in sight. To give to the Wellesley COVID-19 Relief Fund or learn more visit the organization's website.