FAIRFAX NAACP TO PROVIDE NEARLY $20,000.00 IN COVID-RELATED ASSISTANCE TO VIRGINIA-BASED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
Fairfax, VA (October 15, 2020) – Fairfax NAACP announced today that they will distribute $19,350.00 in COVID-19 relief funding to several community-based nonprofit organizations. The pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color, from higher infection and death rates to housing and employment insecurity to inequities in distance learning. Sean Perryman, President of Fairfax NAACP states, “This public health crisis has exposed and exasperated the inequities that already existed in our society. Fairfax NAACP is proud that we can help the most vulnerable among us by keeping students connected, sustaining the businesses that serve our community, and providing basic healthcare to those in need. We will get through this together.”
Throughout this unprecedented crisis, Fairfax NAACP has donated to local charities focused on focusing on emergency healthcare, small business grants and food insecurity programs. In addition, they recently provided local college students of color with $3,500.00 in scholarship funds. Thanks to this additional grant funding from the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia, the branch will offer support in the following areas:

  • Healthcare: Donations will go to Shelter House to help meet escalating healthcare needs related to the virus. Joe Meyer, CEO of Shelter House, states, “The Fairfax-Falls Church Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness relies on community partners to help fill gaps that government and other nonprofits aren't able to fill. These funds will support our Quarantine/Protection/Isolation/Decompression (QPID) sites, elevating our services even more for people of color who are both homeless and dealing with COVID.”

  • Small Business: Donations will go to the Virginia 30 Day Fund to support minority-owned and women-owned businesses that were otherwise unable to secure PPP funding.

  • Distance Learning Technology: Donations will go to the Fairfax County Council PTA to provide underserved students and their families with distance learning technology funds. Kara Jenkins, President of the FCCPTA states, “We are excited to be part of this important work to ensure that all of our students are successful, and we extend thanks to the Fairfax NAACP for thinking of us as a partner in ensuring equity for FCPS students and families.”

  • Eviction Prevention: Donations will go to Cornerstones to provide direct assistance to individuals facing eviction due to COVID-19. “While the CDC recently extended the eviction moratorium, we anticipate that by the end of December, many more people will undoubtedly face large bills and due-back payments that will further jeopardize their ability to maintain a roof over their family's head and increase their risk for COVID-19 exposure,” explains Greg White, COO of Cornerstones. “Now more than ever, the NAACP's valuable support is helping our lower-income neighbors rebuild their economic, physical, and mental stability and hope for living a healthy, connected life in our community."

For more information please contact Naveed Shah, Communications, Press and Publicity Chair at [email protected].

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ABOUT THE FAIRFAX NAACP
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. Learn more at FairfaxNAACP.org.