PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pew Charitable Trusts, one of Philadelphia’s major philanthropic organizations, is shelling out more than $5 million to help nonprofits battered by the coronavirus pandemic — and in the process, it’s making history.
For the first time, Pew awarded a $4 million growth grant over five years to Benefits Data Trust, an organization that helps Philadelphians connect with public benefit programs.
“This is the largest investment that the Pew fund has made in its 30-year history,” said Kristin Romens, project director of the Pew Fund for Health and Human Services. “It comes at a really important time when lots of individuals, families, households are in need of access to benefits — particularly if you think about the number of people, recently unemployed, who may not have access to benefits programs before.”
She said the money will reach residents who were left unemployed by the pandemic and who are not familiar with the system.
“Having assistance in enrolling, applying for, and enrolling in benefits programs is really important. At this point in time, we’re very excited about that large investment,” she added.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia and Puentes de Salud also received grants to help communities hardest hit within the last year. The Boys & Girls Clubs will receive $250,000 over two years, and Puentes will receive $160,000 over two years.
Libby Lescalleet, Boys & Girls Clubs executive vice president of programs, partnerships and development, said this grant is a huge boost for working families.
“The money that we’re getting from Pew helps to support the virtual learning labs that have existed in the clubs since the beginning of the school year and that has required additional staff time and additional staff to execute those things,” she said.
“One mom actually said, ‘You don’t even have the idea of how many people’s jobs you saved by being open during this time, because we wouldn’t have been able to go to work, had you not been willing to come out to serve our kids.’ ”
The clubs have been providing meals, educational support and child care throughout the pandemic. The grant will allow the clubs to enhance literacy, STEM and social-emotional health programming, which Lescalleet said is significant as kids battle more stress and anxiety that come with the pandemic, as well as the gun violence crisis in their neighborhoods.
Puentes de Salud will help meet the health needs of the city’s growing Latino immigrant communities. Romens said these communities already faced barriers to health care before the pandemic and have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, resulting in an economic downturn.
The funding supports the increased use of telehealth technologies, standardized electronic health records and patient-focused communications to ensure more accessible care for patients and better coordination among community-based providers.
Tourism was also hit hard by the pandemic. Visit Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Zoo were each awarded $500,000 over two years.
“For that first stretch about a year ago, we were closed for 111 straight days,” said Philadelphia Zoo Chief Development Officer Neil Batiancila. “And over the course of the pandemic, more than 200 days closed. And we’re operating under limited capacity.”
“Even as we begin to see light at the end of a difficult year,” added Frazierita Klasen, senior vice president leading Pew’s work in Philadelphia, “the region continues to struggle with the health and economic impacts of the pandemic. Pew is very pleased to reaffirm our commitment to helping Philadelphia and its residents navigate the longer-term consequences and move toward recovery.”