Efforts to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue as Onondaga County leaders announced 11 recipients of COVID-19 recovery fund grants.
Last fall, nonprofit human-service organizations were invited to apply for part of $1 million in American Rescue Plan funds set aside for the county.
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said the objective of the program was to improve quality of life for individuals in the county who were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
What You Need To Know
- Funds totaling $1 million were awarded to 11 organizations that provide human services within Onondaga County
- The maximum award was $100,000
- Initiatives included assistance for unpaid caregivers, help for individuals experiencing hearing and vision loss and funds to assist HEAP-eligible seniors in making home repairs
Access CNY, PEACE and the Syracuse Northeast Community Center were selected to receive funding and highlighted at an event to announce the awards.
Paul Joslyn, executive director of Access CNY, said part of the funding will be used to help unpaid caregivers who have been looking after loved one throughout the pandemic.
"That's really tough to do for two years during a pandemic, so we want to do what we can to ensure that they know what support is out there for them, so they can get help with any issues that have impacted their lives," he said.
Other uses for the money include assisting HEAP-eligible seniors with home repairs and an initiative to provide nutritious food to people in need.