Quarterly Update From The RAP Foundation

RAP Quarterly Newsletter Vol. 28 – October 2020

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. The COVID-19 Pandemic continues to pose a serious threat to everyone’s health and the economic impacts stress both our clients’ resources and their ability to serve their clients.

Fall is usually one of the best times to live in the desert, with temperatures moderating considerably. While we anticipate several more months of having to endure the pandemic, it’s a great time to make an effort to take care of your physical and mental health by enjoying outdoor activities.

RAP staff continues to adhere to the Governor’s Guidelines in response to the COVID -19 Pandemic. The RAP Team is still working remotely for the most part, but we are making ourselves available for in person meetings when necessary. You can always reach us by email.

READ THE GUIDELINES HERE

Now I would like to share with you some other recent RAP news:

RECENT GRANTS

The RAP Board has allocated grants to the following organizations:

The Alzheimer’s Coachella Valley Breathing Space Program
Borrego Health’s Heart to Heart Program
Sanctuary Palm Springs Transitional Home for LGBTQ & foster Youth
Association for Fundraising Professionals (AFP National Philanthropy Day).

Wishing Joyce Corporon the Best

Joyce Corporon has served as RAP’s Accountant for the last two years. Unfortunately for us, Joyce has decided to move to Arizona and will be leaving us in October. We are sad to see her leave because she is not only smart and responsible but also a caring, thoughtful person whom we have enjoyed having on our Team.

We will miss hearing about the “misadventures” of her beloved cat Ben but wish her the best in Arizona.

Thank you to the County of Riverside for Masks

In mid-August, the County of Riverside partnered with RAP to distribute 100,000 masks to nonprofits in the Coachella Valley and Palo Verde Valley. We appreciate the opportunity to help our nonprofits stay safe while they continued to serve their clients.

Let us know if your organization is in need of more masks so that we can see what we can do to get them to you.

CARES Act Relief Funds for Skilled Nursing Facilities

The County of Riverside Public Health Department contracted with RAP to serve as the administrator of the CARES Act Relief funds intended for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) in Riverside County.

The funds are to help SNFs operate safely during the COVID-19 epidemic which impacted nursing homes so severely. The eligible use of the funds included: Testing, Personal Protective Equipment, Infection Control, Education and Outreach, and Training.

As of August 1, RAP’s Grants Manager Eva Guenther-James, took on the CARES Act funding duties full-time, to ensure that the funds are allocated very quickly since there is a deadline of December 1. Eva is being assisted by Richard Jewik, who joined RAP for this limited time special project. We are fortunate to have Richard’s expertise and great attitude during this effort.

During this time, we are still accepting applications for Small Grants and Sponsorships, but postponing Request for Proposals until January.

Take Care!

Finally, most of us know someone who has been negatively impacted by COVID -19; these are difficult times. There are so many things out of our control, but we can still do our best by following the health guidelines intended to reduce the chances of getting infected; wear a mask, wash your hands frequently and maintain a “social distance” of at least six feet. We can take these steps for the sake of our own well-being and those we care about and our health care providers who continue to work on the brink of the next surge. While you are at it, get a flu shot.

Thank you all. For now, be safe and take care, and enjoy the (hopefully) cooler weather ahead.

Lety De Lara, CEO

CNA CORNER

By Stephanie Minor, CNA Director

Help stop the spread of the Coronavirus in Riverside County!

Find Grants!

Foundation Directory Online is a research tool that helps nonprofits find the grant makers most likely to fund their projects. CNA is providing temporary, free, remote public access to you for the next several weeks, while the pandemic is affecting our onsite location in Palm Desert. If you have any questions, please contact Christine via email at CDemonaco@RAPFoundation.org

Click the button below to gain remote access to Foundation Directory Online. Best wishes with your search!

Visit Foundation Directory Online Now!

GRANTS CORNER

By Karina Rios, Community Services Manager

There have been recent updates on Public Charge and many questions on who falls into the final rule. It is imperative for organizations to share this information with the immigrant communities and learn up-to-date facts to ensure that accurate information is always given.

This will minimize fear and educate immigrant families to prevent confusion and assumptions when it comes to the eligibility of public benefits, based on the final rule. Having these services is crucial for the community to keep families healthy, informed, and safe, since private insurance is not affordable.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, “public charge” is defined as an alien receiving one or more public benefits and has done so for more than 12 months and within any 36-month period. Learn what is under the final rule and share with our immigrant communities by going to the website public charge webpage.

Let us keep our communities moving forward and minimize the fear that many families are currently experiencing.

Lift to Rise's United Lift Rental Assistance

By Araceli Palafox, Lift to Rise Deputy Director

Overview

Lift To Rise has convened and operated a regional Economic Protection Plan across the past 6 months. During this time, we have aggregated more than 13 million in regional resource and disbursed 1 million in emergency cash assistance to more than 4,000 households between March and June.

In June, Riverside County allocated $33 million of federal funds for this program – $30 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and $3 million from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program – making it one of the most generous emergency rental assistance programs in the state in terms of funding per capita. Other organizations such as the Desert Healthcare District and the Regional Access Project Foundation have also contributed resources to support this effort.

The participation and leadership of organization’s like the Regional Access Project and the Desert Healthcare District cannot be overstated. Generous support of our administration cost has allowed us to adapt and grow the program beyond any administrative obstacles. By providing flexible resources to augment this program, we have been able to make households whole and keep families housed.

For more information click on the blue map below.

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