COVID-19 Relief Fund Created to Help Our Region
VICTORIA, TX, March 31. On March 24th, the Victoria County United Way created the COVID-19 Relief Fund, with the
Golden Crescent COAD (Community Organizations Assisting in Disasters), to help those in our communities financially
burdened in the wake of the coronavirus. Thanks to the United Way’s board designating $25,000 and Frost Bank’s
generous donation of $10,000, as well as donations from caring individuals in the community, the COVID-19 Relief Fund
will be able to start helping individuals who are experiencing immediate needs with rent, utility, and bill assistance as
soon as this week.
“We have thousands in our community that need immediate assistance with utilities and rent,” says Pastor Glen Dry,
head of the Golden Crescent COAD.
“To ensure we get the financial resources to the right areas at the right time and adapt to evolving needs, we will rollout
the funding in three phases: Response, Relief, and Recovery,” says Brooke Garcia, Executive Director of the Victoria
County United Way.
The response phase will provide rent, utility, and bill assistance for households for the first few weeks of April. The relief
phase will see the fund awarding grants to nonprofit organizations through June. The last phase, Recovery, will focus on
continued funding to nonprofits while identifying and alleviating strained community resources. Individuals and
Nonprofits can apply for funding on the Fund’s webpage - https://www.unitedwayvictoria.org/covid19
“But we need to keep dollars flowing into the fund,” adds Garcia, “We need local foundations and businesses, as wells as
individuals, to help us build the fund so that we can continue to help our communities through each of the planned
phases.”
Pastor Dry emphasizes the need for contributions, “In the weeks and months ahead, we want to be able to be a piece of
the financial stability the nonprofit organizations need to keep services open in our community.”
The fund is designed to help in all seven (7) counties served by the Golden Crescent COAD – Victoria, DeWitt, Calhoun,
Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, and Goliad – and donors have the option to specify to which county they want their funds to
go.
Through community impact work and partnerships with 17 local nonprofit organizations, Victoria County United Way
helps to ensure Crossroads residents have opportunities for a quality education that leads to a stable job, income that
can support a family through retirement and good health.
The Golden Crescent COAD is a regional group providing a permanent forum for community organizations to develop
and/or strengthen preparedness, response, and recovery activities.
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For more information, please visit https://www.unitedwayvictoria.org/covid19