TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage our communities there’s one organization that’s trying to help families deal with the strain.
United Way of Southern Arizona President and CEO Tony Penn says the non-profit started a COVID–19 fund in March of 2020 to focus on needs brought on by the pandemic. The organization has raised over $1 million dollars.
“Up to this point we have given away more than $739,000 of those resources and funds to those needy families,” Penn said.
That money goes to 29 local agencies who use it to help families with housing, food and utilities.
"We have given away over 1 million and a half pounds of food. We have helped over 25,000 families and households at this point of not only with rent and food insecurity but diapers,” Penn said.
There’s also a program called the end-of-life care partnership that many have been using since the start of the pandemic. To help families deal with the unexpected loss of a loved one.
" We help families prepare for the inevitability so it does not create a financial crisis for the family when an individual or family does not have an advanced directive in place a will in place and doesn’t have a plan in place,” Penn said.
So far, over 175,000 southern Arizonans have received help over the last year. The goal is to double their impact over the next 3 years. Penn says funding and volunteers are always needed.
Links to resources:
https://www.azendoflifecare.org/ [azendoflifecare.org]
https://www.unitedwaytucson.org/resources[unitedwaytucson.org]