Quantum Foundation awards $250,000 to grassroots nonprofits

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Quantum Foundation awards $250,000 to grassroots nonprofits

Palm Beach County organizations receive funds for basic needs in wake of coronavirus pandemic

(West Palm Beach, Fla.) – In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Quantum Foundation recently provided funds totaling $250,000 to 20 Palm Beach County qualifying nonprofits to help meet the basic needs of the county’s most vulnerable residents.

 

The money will fund essentials such as meals, hygiene products, rent/utility assistance, clothing, transportation, and more. The funding comprises the first round of awards in honor of Quantum Foundation’s 10th annual Quantum in the Community initiative. This year, $1 million has been allocated for Quantum in the Community. Usually awarded in the fall, immediate needs pushed up a partial payout of the QIC funding, with the balance of the $1 million ($750,000) to be distributed in November.

Arms of Hope_Lake Worth: Quantum Foundation recently funded basic needs in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Arms of Hope, based in Lake Worth, was a recipient of that funding. The organization gave away food and toiletries to residents in need.

“The COVID-19 pandemic brought forward longstanding health inequities in disinvested communities, exposing the impacts of the social determinants of health such as economic and social conditions that influence a group’s health status,” said Eric Kelly, president of Quantum Foundation. “Health equity is our way forward, and these vulnerable communities need culturally competent care and basic needs now more than ever. Health is not the absence of illness, but rather a positive state of physical and mental well-being, and these grants are a step in the right direction.”

 

The funds are unrestricted and will go toward operational support as well as programmatic needs. Since March, Quantum Foundation will have given away $900,000 in COVID-19 relief funding with $650,000 additional funding outside of the QIC grants. All the money allocated will stay in Palm Beach County and cover all areas from Tequesta to Boca Raton and Belle Glade to Riviera Beach.

 

A committee of Quantum Foundation staff and board members carefully considers each application, and grantees must meet eligibility requirements. To learn more, visit the Quantum Foundation website at https://quantumfnd.org/grant-eligibility/#qic.

Restoration Bridge International: Quantum Foundation recently funded basic needs in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Restoration Bridge International, based in Lake Worth, was a recipient of that funding. RBI gives food to the homeless, migrant communities, section 8 housing, residents of transitional recovery homes, seniors, vets, churches – over 78 organizations in total. Each Saturday morning, Restoration Bridge distributes free food to anyone in need in the parking lot at Church By The Glades at 127 South M Street in Lake Worth. Individuals and families receive boxes of fresh produce, dairy, meat, and more.

Quantum Foundation’s mission is to fund initiatives that improve the health of Palm Beach County residents. In 1998, Quantum Foundation marked its rookie year as one of Palm Beach County’s newest and largest philanthropic organizations with an impressive $7.6 million granted to more than 40 Palm Beach County projects. Just over 20 years later, with assets of approximately $155 million, the organization’s focus remains on keeping Palm Beach County healthy. Their awards to date total more than $145 million and have impacted hundreds of local nonprofit organizations. Every dollar the foundation grants continues to stay in the county to benefit local communities. For information about Quantum Foundation, or to learn about applying for grants, please visit www.quantumfnd.org or call 561-832-7497.

 

Full List of Grantees

  • Belle Glade/Pahokee – $25,000
    • Church of the Harvest
      • Food/financial assistance: Glades Area Pantries offers a food and clothing pantry, furniture, and financial assistance. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Church of the Harvest has distributed more than 200 tons of food and over $12,000 in financial assistance.
    • Light House Café
      • Food assistance: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lighthouse began serving to-go meals and has increased by nearly 3,000 meals since March 18.
  • Boynton Beach/Delray Beach – $20,000
    • Eat Better Live Better (EBLB)
      • Food assistance: EBLB is focused on being a solution to the food crisis caused by COVID-19 by delivering healthy groceries to families in need. Partnering with Digital Vibez & Project Smile, EBLB distributes nearly 100 boxes of groceries twice a week.
    • Operation 120
      • Basic needs: Operation 120 provides temporary supportive housing, food, clothing, toiletries, transportation, and basic needs to homeless and at-risk female veterans.
  • Jupiter/Tequesta – $40,000
    • CareBag
      • Basic needs: CareBag provides proper hygiene to homeless and families in need. The organization provides PPEs and coordinates with local churches to provide meals.
    • St. Vincent de Paul
      • Financial assistance: Since COVID-19, St. Vincent has assisted 69 Jupiter residents for a total of $57,646.
  • Riviera Beach/Lake Park – $30,000
    • Joint Mission
      • Basic needs: Joint Mission provides veterans with free, including beds, mattresses, linens, and other home necessities.
    • Riviera Beach Community Outreach
      • Basic needs: The organization provides direct services such as food distribution, assistance with Palm Tran discount bus passes, applying and enrollment in SNAP benefits, clothing for children and adults, and weekly on-site essential healthcare services.
    • St. George’s Community Center
      • Food assistance: St. George currently serves an average of 300 meals per day, Monday through Friday, and 80 meals on Saturday to homeless individuals in Riviera Beach.
  • Lake Worth/Lantana – $20,000
    • Arms of Hope
      • Food assistance: Requests for hot meals has increased 40 percent, and in the last four months Arms of Hope has provided 42,405 meals.
    • Restoration Bridge
      • Food assistance: Run by an all-volunteer staff, in 2019 Restoration Bridge provided 6,806,534 pounds of food to Palm Beach County residents. Due to COVID-19, the organization has seen a 40 percent increase in food distribution.
  • North Palm Beach/Palm Beach Gardens – $30,000
    • FFA Foundation
      • Financial assistance: FFA Foundation helps clients in early recovery with transportation, rental, and utility assistance. In 2019, FFA gave away $51,000 in financial assistance to Palm Beach County residents.
    • Hands Together
      • Food and financial assistance: Over the past two and a half months, Hands Together has served 759 families (3,190 people) 4,610 ready-to-eat meals. The organization has also been working with several Haitian pastors to provide for their parishioners and has provided $14,000 in rent/utility assistance over the past three months.
  • Wellington/Greenacres/Royal Palm Beach – $25,000
    • Society of St. Vincent
      • Financial assistance: Society of St. Vincent helps with funding to provide temporary housing for homeless families until they can be placed in a permanent home. The organization also assists with past-due rent, utility bills, and food.
    • Wellington Cares
      • Basic needs: Wellington Cares provides necessities such as transportation, medication prescription fees, and other services to 2,340 seniors in the community who prefer to remain living in their home.
  • West Palm Beach – $60,000
    • Buccan Provisions
      • Food assistance: Since COVID-19, Buccan Provisions has served 125,000 meals with 15,000 weekly meals provided.
    • Extended Hands
      • Food assistance: In 2019, the Hands Choice Pantry distributed non-perishable food items, fresh produce, meat, dairy, and bread to more than 3,000 families (feeding over 7,000 individuals) and its soup kitchen served more than 15,000 hot meals. Since COVID-19, services have increased 31 percent compared to the same time last year.
    • Feed the Hungry
      • Food assistance: Serving more than 10,000 families with over 140 pounds of food per family, Feed the Hungry also provides food to several small food pantries and shelters.
    • HACER
      • Food assistance: HACER regularly serves between 150-175 families at each distribution, and since COVID-19, the organization is now serving more than 500 families at each distribution site.
    • Hospitality Helping Hands (HHH)
      • Food assistance: The organization’s weekly grocery distribution serves more than 1,000 families each week. To date, HHH has provided more than 20,000 families with nutritious food. A unique element of weekly distributions is the addition of diapers and pet food.