Great Rivers United Way collecting county emergency response funds
Great Rivers United Way has established a new fund designed to help Trempealeau County residents whose income will be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund is a local partnership between Great Rivers United Way and business, government, and individual supporters.
The Trempealeau County Emergency Response Fund’s first priority will be to provide funding to Trempealeau County charitable organizations that already offer direct services to its targeted populations. The aim is to help people hardest hit by reduced and lost work resulting from pandemic-related closures.
“We recognize it’s too soon to know the full impact of coronavirus on our county, but we do know needs will increase in the days, weeks and months ahead. We’d like to help our community be as prepared as possible, proactively,” said Mary Kay Wolf, Executive Director of Great Rivers United Way.
Fundraising is now underway to grow the fund and will continue throughout the outbreak and recovery phases of the crisis. For more information or to contribute online, visit www.gruw.org/covid19. You may also text TREMP to 40403 to donate.
Donations may also be mailed to Great Rivers United Way, Attn: Trempealeau County ERF, at 1855 E. Main St., Onalaska, WI 54650. Please make checks payable to Great Rivers United Way and write “Trempealeau County Emergency Response Fund” on the notes line.
“Nobody anticipated this kind of immediate and urgent need last fall when Great Rivers United Way ran its annual fundraising efforts,” Wolf continued. “At this point, the community needs every combined effort to take care of our neighbors who are being impacted.”
The fund will support and enhance any government assistance provided. Fund distributions will be released on a rolling basis, making it possible to move resources quickly and adapt to evolving needs. The application Trempealeau County agencies will use to request funds will be available once the first online donations come in.
