ASHWAUBENON (NBC 26) -- Many nonprofit organizations throughout Northeast Wisconsin have seen the need for their services rise through this pandemic.
At the St. John the Evangelist Homeless Shelter, leaders have opened a second shelter to continue safe, socially distanced operations. Leaders say it has helped them in their mission, but it's also not something that was in the budget to start the year.
“Every shelter is needing support to whether this," executive director Alexia Wood said. "The incremental cost in terms of numbers, in terms of cleaning supplies, in terms of trying to do it with less staff and all of that. It’s a critical time for shelters.”
The St. John's Homeless Shelter is one of almost two dozen organizations that have received grant funds from the United Way of Brown County. In total, the emergency relief fund has granted 23 organizations with $180,000.
“Those funds have covered a variety of basic needs - anywhere from food, shelter, to the technology to deliver service in a different way," United Way President Robyn Davis said.
The fund is still open for applications. Grants will be released on a rolling basis as the pandemic continues and evolves, making it possible to move resources as quickly as possible and adapt to community needs.
