COVID-19 quickly became a massive obstacle for many local nonprofits and health and human service organizations across Cambria and Somerset Counties. At the height of the pandemic, uncertainty of what was to come was a common theme plaguing residents in our area, with health and human service needs notably revolving around shelter and/or food, or the newly added requirement of personal protective equipment (PPE).

In addition to those emergent community needs, social distancing guidelines limited local food pantries, shelters, and other organizations from being able to perform their day-to-day operations. This convoluted rise in specified organizational needs enveloped the area, which prompted organizations to begin reaching out to local funders for assistance.

Karen Struble Myers, President & CEO of the United Way of the Laurel Highlands, said, “in these challenging times, the 1889 Foundation and the United Way of the Laurel Highlands took the lead on meeting health and human service related needs in our region.”

Since 2014, 1889 Foundation has been partnering with the United Way to make regional investments in health and well-being, addressing needs identified through the United Way Community Impact Process. This partnership has been able to deliver over $2.5 million back into Cambria and Somerset Counties. This partnership continues to make significant impact in the region each and every year, and the onset of COVID-19 in 2020 is no exception.

The partnership raised a total of $315,000 to aid COVID relief in both Cambria and Somerset Counties. During the initial 12-week period of COVID-19, this partnership, utilizing a sound request for funding process, was able to allocate 45 separate grants, totaling $168,190 to help sustain local food pantries, local housing shelters, local school districts, and local nonprofit organizations.

Requests from organizations ranged from financial assistance for shelters and food pantries, to helping schools get food out to students, to financial assistance to aid in hiring additional staff to handle patient influx, to purchasing PPE equipment in order to continue offering their services to residents who were in need, while maintaining state and local safety guidelines.

A funding breakdown of the distributions is listed in chronological order based on when requests were received and allocations were made:

Week 1: (March 23, 2020)

  • Windber Area Community Kitchen – Soup Kitchen – $26,400
  • Highlands Health – Staff Hire – $6,200
  • Highlands Health – Supplies -$800 (Invoice for Service)

Week 2: (March 30, 2020)

  • Women’s Help Center – Shelter/PPE Supplies – $12,000
  • Birthright – Baby Supplies – $4,000
  • West End Food Pantry – Food Supplies – $1,000
  • Interfaith Food Pantry – Food Supplies – $5,000
  • Rockwood School District – Food Supplies – $2,000
  • Shade-Central City School District – Food Supplies – $500
  • Conemaugh Valley School District – Food Supplies – $2,000
  • Oakland Volunteer Fire Department – PPE Supplies – $1,367
  • Northern EMS – PPE Supplies – $1,273
  • Windber Volunteer Fire Department – PPE Supplies – $1,277
  • Blacklick Valley Volunteer Fire Department – PPE Supplies – $700
  • Hooversville Volunteer Fire Department – PPE Supplies – $1,052

Week 3: (April 6, 2020)

  • Changing Expectations Mission – Johnstown Feeding – Food Supplies – $5,000
  • Destiny’s Outreach – Food Supplies – $8,000
  • St. Vincent De Paul Family Kitchen – Food Supplies/Utilities – $5,000
  • Greater Johnstown School District – Food Supplies – $2,000
  •  Conemaugh Township School District – Food Supplies – $2,000
  • Windber Area School District – Food Supplies – $2,000
  • Berlin Brothers Valley School District – Food Supplies – $2,000
  • Ferndale Area School District – Food Supplies – $2,000
  • Cambria County Backpack Project – Food Supplies – $2,000

Week 4: (April 13, 2020)

  • The Family Center (Somerset County) – Special Foods for Infants/Toddlers – $500
  • Somerset Mobile Food Bank – 3,200 1⁄2 Gallons of Milk – $3,136
  • Somerset County Area on Aging – Homebound Meals – $6,000

Week 5: (April 20, 2020)

  • Nurse Family Partnership – Client Care – 2 Car Seats/2 Pack’N’Plays – $381.56
  • Somerset Food Pantry – Food Supplies – $1,750
  • Boswell Food Pantry – Food Supplies – $1,500
  • Windber Food Pantry – Food Supplies – $1,000
  • Hollsopple Food Pantry – $750

Week 6: (April 27, 2020)

  • Blacklick Valley Ambulance – Bio Clean Facility – $2,650
  • Central Cambria School District – Food Supplies – $2,000
  • Ramp for Disabled Individual – $100
  • Next Step Center – Somerset County – Emergency Housing Funding – $925

Week 7: (May 4, 2020) – No Requests

Week 8: (May 11, 2020)

  • Girl Scouts – Outreach Troops – Cookie Sales (Cambria) – $2,000
  • Girl Scouts – Outreach Troops – Cookie Sales (Somerset) – $1,000

Week 9: (May 18, 2020)

  •  Somerset Mobile Food Bank – Hastings (Cambria) Food Distribution – 575 Vehicles – $1,343.91
  •  University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown – Activity Bags – Public Housing – $1,000

Week 10: (May 25, 2020)

  •  Alleghenies Unlimited Care Providers – PPE Supplies – $6,000

Week 11: (June 1, 2020) – No Requests

Week 12: (June 8, 2020)

  • Highlands Health – Extended Pharmacy Technician for 6 additional weeks – $1,725
  • Women’s Help Center – Offsite Sheltering – $8,000
  • Next Step Center – Emergency Shelter (May) – $630
  • Next Step Center – Emergency Shelter (June) – $315
  • Adelphoi – PPE Supplies/Hygiene Supplies – $3,745
  • Women’s Help Center – Offsite Sheltering – $5,000
  • Pressley Ridge School – PPE Supplies – $3,000
  • Next Step Center – Emergency Housing (Somerset) – $10,030 (Invoice for Service)
  • Martha & Mary House – Cambria County – Housing/Shelter – $6,900 (Invoice for Service)
  • Sanitizer for various agencies – $150

Total Amount Distributed – $168,189.47

“The United Way and 1889 Foundation are grateful for the support received from the community to mitigate community distress during the COVID-19 pandemic,”said Sue Mann, president of 1889 Foundation. “It is because of the investment of the community that many residents in need were fed, clothed, sheltered, and provided additional assistance during such a troubling time for the area. Because of partnerships and a commitment to service the region is able to meet the needs of the most vulnerable residents and foster a healthier, resilient community.”