TOPEKA – Five nonprofit organizations across the state received supplemental funding to support local COVID relief efforts, thanks to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The funds, made available through the federal Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program, will alleviate the effects of poverty by helping individuals and families with low incomes achieve stability and access economic opportunities.
“Our CSBG providers have long served on the front lines of our communities, providing vital services for Kansans in need,” said Ryan Vincent, Executive Director of Kansas Housing. “Now more than ever, these resources will help Kansans support their families and stay safe during this time of crisis.”
Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the CSBG program supports local service partners that provide resources and assistance to low-income community members. Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) serves as the state’s CSBG program administrator. CSBG grant awards help fund a range of community resources, including job training, financial management education, childcare services, housing and feeding programs, and more.
The supplemental CARES Act CSBG funding will support five nonprofit service providers across the state as they assist community members adversely impacted by the COVID pandemic. Funding will help winterize homes, deliver fresh food to low-income communities, remove barriers to employment for job seekers, and provide emergency food, housing, and utility assistance. Service partners applied for funding through a competitive application process. Complete award details are listed below.
| Subgrantee agency | Services funded | Service area | Amount awarded |
| Catholic Charities, Inc. Diocese of Wichita
|
Funding will support a Case Manager position and will address employment barriers, including lack of transportation, appropriate clothing, and childcare.
|
Wichita area | $ 55,187.00
|
| ECKAN
|
Funding will provide emergency assistance for rent, utilities, and other essential expenses for each of the agency’s nine service counties.
|
ECKAN service area
|
$ 156,667.80
|
| Episcopal Social Services, Inc., DBA Breakthrough
|
Funding will be used to complete the final planning phase for a food processing center that will increase the availability of fresh food to low-income individuals through non-profit partners.
|
Wichita | $ 74,000.00
|
| Harvest America Corporation
|
Funding will provide food assistance and utility assistance to 100 low-income families.
|
Western Kansas- 43 counties
|
$100,000.00
|
| Topeka Habitat for Humanity | Funding will provide winterization kits for low-income families, allowing them to use funds that would have been spent on energy bills to offset the increased childcare and food costs being driven by COVID-19.
|
Topeka | $ 20,212.00
|
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Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) is a self-supporting, nonprofit, public corporation committed to helping Kansans access the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve. KHRC serves as the primary administrator of federal housing programs for the state of Kansas.
