Salvation Army of Buffalo
"We've had to shut a lot of our programs down that require a lot of one-on-one contact, such as counselors not being able to meet one-on-one with people," Laurie Krajna, Salvation Army of Buffalo Development Director, said.
Some of those programs include an employment services program, supervised visitation for parents who had their children taken away from them, and, ironically, a certified cleaning program that educates people on how to properly sanitize hospitals and other health care buildings.
They've managed keep most of their programs, though Krajna said their feeding program has been busier than ever. An average of 150 homeless people are showing up on Sundays and Mondays and they continue to make effort to keep them separated so as to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
But even the food pantries are different now than normal.
"Instead of a choice pantry where clients can come in and pick out what they want, we are bagging groceries and leaving them in our lobby and buzzing people in one-at-a-time," Krajna said.
The United Way of Buffalo and Erie County partnered with the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo and other organizations to create a COVID-19 Community Response Fund that has granted $4.5 million to 74 organizations.
"Those relationships are really important in a time of crisis as well as strong relationships with non-profit leaders that are on the front lines of addressing the needs of our most vulnerable residents in our eight-county region," Clotilde Dedecker, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, said. "It's really been remarkable the way the philanthropic community has stepped up to the plate."
"We're most concerned about people who are being displaced or are in the midst of being underserved because they can't have access to services they would traditionally have access to," Michael Weiner, President and CEO of the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, said. "Those are the things that are of great, pressing need to us in the community."
Among their major partners in their fundraising efforts is Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane, who is sponsoring a contribution that will create an incentive for people to go to their site and make a gift.
Catholic Charities launched their $10 million appeal goal in January, though they've only raised approximately $4 million. President and CEO Steve Schumer said they are losing out on a major opportunity to raise funds for their June 30 goal because churches have been closed.
"Catholic Charities exists year round," Schumer said. "The appeal runs for a few months in the springtime and it's certainly very important, but right now our focus really is on being in the community and providing help."
Those services include their food pantries, all of which are seeing more users than ever, mental health counseling, and other services.
However, their day program for senior citizens has been put on pause because of the pandemic.
Ride for Roswell was prepared to hold their 25th anniversary event on June 27. However, those plans have been put on hold, though Ride for Roswell promised to have the event take place in some way.
They will make a definitive announcement on May 1.
In the meantime, they're dedicating all funds raised during April to the Roswell Park COVID-19 Response Fund.
"It is helping our patients and staff in four really critical areas," Andrea Gregory, the Director of Event Fundraising, said.
