By Emily Drooby
For years, Mother Cabrini tirelessly helped immigrants, orphans and the sick. Now her legacy of lending a helping hand lives on through the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.
They’re stepping up in a big way to help out New York communities impacted by COVID-19, dedicating $50 million dollars in grants as support for nonprofit organizations.
“We could not stand-by without doing something immediately to help those most in need,” explained their chief programs and grants officer Deborah Konopko, who says the money will help those who have been most affected by the pandemic.
“We are going to cast a very wide net, and give grants out as soon as we can to help people in this really difficult situation we are encountering in ny right now,” she added.
Catholic Charities, health care providers and food banks are just some of the programs the money will help, and it’s badly needed.
As of last week, nearly 800,000 New Yorkers had applied for unemployment.
The need for food assistance is surging. Normally, about 2.5 million city residents turn to charitable food banks for help. Experts are predicting that number could double or triple.
At the same time, senior citizens are afraid to go outside these days, and they’re relying on services like ‘Meals on Wheels’ to stay fed.
Catholic Charities Brooklyn Queens can really use the help. They’ve been working non-stop to make sure people are fed.
With so many jobs lost because of the crisis, over the past few days, Catholic Charities has had two pop-up food distribution operations in Corona, Queens.
More than 1,700 bags full of food were handed out, each one with enough to feed a family of three for three days.
Catholic Charities could have distributed even more – that’s how great the need is right now.