RICHMOND — More than $350,000 has been raised to date for a COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund to help vulnerable students and families in the West Contra Costa Unified School District impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The West Contra Costa Education Fund (Ed Fund) and WCCUSD have set a $1.3 million goal for the fund, according to a district news release. The largest contribution has been a $200,000 grant from the Hellman Foundation.
“As a doctor and mother, I recognize that this health crisis has had a significant impact on our most vulnerable students and their families. My family has always felt it is our responsibility to help take care of our communities,” said Dr. Tricia Hellman Gibbs, MD, board chair of the Hellman Foundation, in a statement. “Today more than ever, we hope this effort on the part of the Hellman Foundation and others will help ensure students continue to thrive academically, and families are connected to essential resources and information to remain resilient during this pandemic.”
According to the news release, the fund was created to provide money to support five areas of need identified by the district: feeding students and families, distance teaching and learning, ensuring clean and safe facilities, communicating with the community, and supporting vulnerable families.
“We are immensely thankful to the Hellman Foundation and the West Contra Costa community for their generous support of the students and families we serve,” Superintendent Matthew Duffy said. “This crisis has exposed significant disparity and need. The resources being gathered will help provide much needed resources to provide healthy meals, ensure learning continues while school buildings are closed and help families financially.”
The Ed Fund and the district’s Office of Community and Family Engagement have developed a process to get direct financial disbursements directly into the hands of families in need.
In the first phase, district staff are contacting families in transition, and parents of foster, English language learners, African American, and probation youth. In phase two, the Ed Fund and district will contact families not identified in the first phase.
“We want to provide resources to ensure the continuity of K-12 education and connect students and families to community resources to meet their basic needs through school closures, especially for our most vulnerable students,” Ed Fund Executive Director Jasmine Jones said in a statement.
According to the news release, donations have also been received from: East Bay Community Foundation, Irene S. Scully Foundation, Jewish Community Foundation, The California Endowment, The Lesher Foundation, Chevron Corporation, Travis Credit Union, MicroMobility Industries, Yellow Chair Foundation, The Schroeder Fund and nearly 100 individual donors.
For more information, go to edfundwest.org/covid-19/.
The West Contra Costa Unified School District serves approximately 29,000 students at 54 schools in the East Bay.
The Ed Fund was founded in 1983 in response to the decline in funding to public education. The Ed Fund is the key lead development partner for the West Contra Costa Unified School District and has managed a college scholarship program benefiting low-income graduating seniors. Since 2005, more than $1.6 million in scholarships have been awarded to over 550 students.
