Oregon Country Fair Awards 3 Grants to Provide Covid Emergency Relief
EUGENE, Ore., August 3, 2020 — Three Lane County nonprofits have been awarded Special Covid Emergency Relief Grants from the Oregon Country Fair. Even though the pandemic caused the Fair to be cancelled like so many other events, the OCF Board of Directors opted to donate $20,000 out of reserve funds to help meet the extraordinary needs of these times.
Grants went to:
Downtown Languages—$7,000 to provide basic needs assistance to Latino families, including food, rent assistance, and online educational resources. The Fair recognizes the disproportionate effect the virus has had on the Latino population, both in the number of reported cases and the economic impact.
Sponsors—$6,500 to support formerly incarcerated people who are released back to the community with financial assistance for shelter, food, clothing, masks and hygiene products. The pandemic has made it even more difficult than usual for recently released prisoners, who are among the hardest hit, to find affordable housing and jobs.
The Kareng Fund—$6,500 for artisans who need assistance with food, shelter, utilities, transportation, Covid-related safety precautions, or medical aid. Many crafters and food booth operators have seen their primary sources of income considerably cut or eliminated because of the pandemic’s effect on our economy. They are greatly in need of assistance to get through these especially difficult economic times.
This year’s grants extend a decades-long commitment of the Oregon Country Fair to support area nonprofits. To date, the Oregon Country Fair has donated more than $1.5 million to our community.
Philanthropy was the catalyst that began the Oregon Country Fair, has been essential to developing its long-lived success, and will provide opportunities that further its mission into the future.
