Healthy Lakewood Foundation Responds To COVID-19

The Healthy Lakewood Foundation (HLF) has announced that it will focus its 2020 grantmaking on community needs stemming from the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis.

Funds will be awarded immediately to help support two organizations that are directly helping Lakewood residents who are in great need during this crisis. A grant of $50,000 will be awarded to the Lakewood Community Services Center (LCSC) to support increased food procurement and distribution. A grant of $25,000 will be awarded to the Department of Human Services, City of Lakewood, for resident emergency needs stemming from the public health crisis.

The Foundation will be taking a phased approach for the remainder of the year to respond with additional grants to meet further needs as they become clearer as the crisis unfolds.

“The board places its full confidence in LCSC and the City of Lakewood Human Services Department to identify residents most at risk and provide increased services and basic needs support in this time of crisis,“ says HLF Board President Jeanine Gergel. “We trust the leadership of these two entities to be able to quickly provide help to those most in need.”

HLF will continue to assess community needs through proactive outreach with community leaders and service providers to identify funding opportunities for future phases of crisis response grantmaking throughout 2020.

“We will be keeping our ears to the ground for additional opportunities to support the community, once the full implication of this pandemic on individuals and families unfolds over the coming weeks and months,” says Ms. Gergel. “We take our responsibility as a foundation devoted to the health and wellness of the Lakewood community seriously and recognize our duty to be as responsive as possible at this critical time.”

About the Healthy Lakewood Foundation: The Healthy Lakewood Foundation (HLF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community foundation. HLF was created to ensure remaining assets from the conversion of the Lakewood Hospital will continue to benefit the health and wellness of residents in the City of Lakewood. HLF was established in September 2018 as part of the master agreement following the closing of Lakewood Hospital. HLF was formed from the Foundation Planning Task Force and through their recommendation to the City of Lakewood and the Lakewood Hospital Association.

To contact HLF, please visit www.healthylakewoodfoundation.org or email healthylakewoodfoundation@gmail.com.

Kate Ingersoll

Submitted on behalf of the Healthy Lakewood Foundation by Kate Ingersoll, Board Secretary.

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Volume 16, Issue 7, Posted 11:01 AM, 04.02.2020