PORTLAND — In its second round of COVID Response Grants, the John T. Gorman Foundation has awarded $500,000 in grants to protect child and family safety during the pandemic. Half of the funding will go to organizations working to provide shelter and support to victims of domestic violence. The other $250,000 will help organizations continue in-person at-home visits with families, while complying with CDC guidelines, to assess their well being and provide support for basic needs.

The foundation made an initial round of COVID Response Grants in April, awarding $500,000 in grants to address immediate needs of food and shelter.

Domestic violence grants will allow already full domestic violence shelters to place additional families in hotels or apartments when possible and ensure that they have food, phones and the means to keep themselves and their families safe. Funding will also go toward the operation of crisis hotlines.

Area grants include: $140,000 to the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, $20,000 for education and outreach, with the rest allocated to eight member organizations throughout the state: Caring Unlimited; Family Violence Project; Hope & Justice Project; New Hope for Women; Next Step Domestic Violence Project; Partners for Peace; Safe Voices; and Through These Doors. $15,000 to the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine, which serves refugee and immigrant communities through culturally and linguistically sensitive services.

Child safety grants will help nonprofit organizations make regular in-person home visits to families while complying with CDC guidelines. The visits will allow trained professionals to identify safety risks and support families by reducing stress, connecting them to resources, providing education on safe practices for young children and offer direct supports such as food, diapers and toys.

Area grants went to: $40,000 to Community Concepts Inc., serving Androscoggin and Oxford counties; $40,000 to Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, serving Kennebec and Somerset counties; $25,000 to the Opportunity Alliance, serving Cumberland County; $20,000 to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to support education and outreach efforts on safe sleep practices and the Period of PURPLE Crying to prevent infant and toddler mortality.

For more information about the Gorman Foundation, visit www.jtgfoundation.org.

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