Editor’s note: As of Thursday morning, the following were still scheduled.
Community Christian School
WILLMAR — The annual auction and family carnival has changed due to COVID-19. It will now be an online auction with bidding beginning at noon Saturday, May 9. The bidding will close with a Facebook live auction at noon Saturday, May 16. Pickup of items will be from 12:30 to 4 p.m. May 16.
AIM rose pickup
WILLMAR — Advocacy & Inclusion Matter annual Rose Sale pickup will be from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 28, at the Kandi Mall. If there are any questions, call AIM at 320-231-1777 or send an email to contact@aimwcm.org .
Women’s Foundation of Minnesota
WILLMAR — The Women’s Foundation of MInnesota has awarded $233,000 in grants through its COVID-19 Women & Girls Response Fund. It is issuing a half-million dollars in emergency grants of up to $10,000 to organizations serving women and girls experiencing gender-based violence, older women, and women and girls who need short-term financial support for everyday needs due to the effects of COVID-19 (childcare, eldercare, food, housing, transportation, health, and wellness). Grant applications are being accepted monthly and on a rolling basis, as funds are available.
Dakota Wicohan, Morton, $10,000 to connect young Dakota women with digital resources, care packages, and short-term financial assistance and to support their wellness needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Dakota-led organization, Dakota Wicohan works to revitalize Dakota as a living language, and through it, transmit Dakota lifeways to future generations.
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COVID-19
Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs is accepting applications from Minnesota veterans who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The department will be awarding one-time financial relief grants in the amount of $1,000.
Eligible applicants must be: A veteran as defined by Minnesota Statute 197.447, or the surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a deceased veteran, a Minnesota resident, and have been negatively financial impacted by COVID-19.
Funding is available for both Disaster Relief Grants and Special Needs Grants. Both grant applications may be submitted through your county Veterans Service Office. The Disaster Relief Grant may also be submitted directly online by a veteran or surviving spouse. For more information or to apply, visit MinnesotaVeteran.org/COVIDRelief . To contact your local County Veterans Service Officer, visit MACVSO.org .
Rice Health Foundation and Redwood Hospital Foundation have established a COVID-19 Emergency Fund to receive monetary donations for Carris Health locations. Gifts to this fund will be used to purchase COVID-19 supplies and medical equipment, provide meals for staff who remain on campus to provide care and meet other high-priority needs identified to support the direct care of COVID-19 patients and others in our community.
Monetary gifts can be given online to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund (Carris Health – Rice Memorial Hospital or Carris Health – Redwood Hospital) or mail checks designated for COVID-19 to Rice Health Foundation, 301 Becker Ave. S.W., Willmar, MN 56201 or Redwood Hospital Foundation, 100 Fallwood Rd., Redwood Falls, MN 56283.
Individual county emergency operations centers are coordinating all non-monetary donations for CentraCare and Carris Health facilities. Do not deliver donations to local hospitals or care facilities. To donate supplies in Kandiyohi County, call 320-214-6780 (collecting homemade PPEs as well as other supplies) and in Redwood County call 507-637-4035 (collecting new, manufactured supplies only – no homemade PPEs).
Willmar Area Community Foundation, in partnership with CommunityGiving, has received a grant of $22,900 through the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund for coronavirus relief. This funding, along with contributions to the Willmar Area Response Fund, will be used to support local relief efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic which will include wide-scale initiatives to help meet critical basic needs as well as sustaining local organizations providing critical services through recovery. The Willmar Area Response Fund had raised $77,415 as of April 1.
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Grant opportunities through the Willmar Area Response Fund are now available. Eligible organizations must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit, school or governmental entity that serves Kandiyohi County. Initially, the fund will focus resources toward efforts focused on helping meet basic needs for area residents and critical services. For additional information, visit https://www.communitygiving.org/grant/willmar-area-response-fund-grants/37 .
CenterPoint Energy announced through its foundation the company will contribute $1.5 million to nonprofit organizations, agencies and causes that are committed to supporting those who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. CenterPoint Energy’s COVID-19 Relief Fund will include $1 million in direct contributions, as well as up to $500,000 in matching gifts for employees’ contributions to qualifying 501(c)3 organizations. It is Minnesota’s largest natural gas utility, serving more than 860,000 residential and business customers. Organizations that are interested in applying for a CenterPoint Energy COVID-19 Relief Fund grant should visit www.centerpointenergy.com/cnpgives . CenterPoint Energy continues to provide additional support to customers regarding their utility service. As previously announced, the company will support customers who may need payment assistance, arrangements or extensions during the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, the company has temporarily suspended natural gas service disconnections for nonpayment.