Eighty Four, PA -The EQT Foundation has donated $50,000 to the Washington County Community Foundation’sClose to Home Disaster and Emergency Fund, which is currently supporting local non-profit organizations at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The WCCF recently launched the Close to Home Disaster and Emergency Fund to provide grants to human service organizations serving Washington County, Pennsylvania, in response to local disasters and emergencies. In the fund’s first two weeks, grants totaling more than $130,000 have been awarded to local organizations addressing health care and hunger.
“These are challenging and uncertain times, and when critical needs arise in our communities, the EQT Foundation has always answered the call,” EQT Foundation President Ellen Rossi said. “As our local hospitals, food pantries, and other organizations protect and care for our friends and neighbors during this pandemic, our support of the Close to Home Disaster and Emergency Fund is a way for us to demonstrate our gratitude for their unyielding commitment and service.”
Generous initial support of the Close to Home Disaster and Emergency Fund has allowed for swift and impactful grant-making, but additional donations, in any amount, are needed to continue the momentum and address changing needs.
WCCF President & CEO Betsie Trew remarked, “As a result of the initiative demonstrated by the EQT Foundation and other generous donors, we were able to quickly deploy a first round of grants from the Close to Home Disaster and Emergency Fund to support Washington County human service organizations addressing urgent health care and food security needs.”
Trew went on to say, “If you are able to join this effort, please make a gift. Your financial support is essential to maintaining critical operations and services and increasing our local charities’ capacity to help those impacted by COVID-19. The strain on our health care facilities is only expected to increase, and many local individuals and families have experienced a reduction in income due to job interruption or layoffs. Right now, it may feel like there is not much we can do to help others, but a gift to the Close to Home Disaster and Emergency Fund will serve to make an impact when our community is most in need.”
Members of the community are invited to support the Community Foundation’s efforts by making a tax-deductible gift to the Close to Home Disaster and Emergency Fund. Credit Card donations may be made via the Foundation’s website at www.wccf.net. Checks payable to “Washington County Community Foundation” may be mailed to 1253 Route 519, PO Box 308, Eighty Four, PA 15330. Please write “Close to Home Fund” on the memo line. For other types of gifts, including IRA Charitable Transfers, please contact the WCCF at 724-222-6330.
The Foundation waives its normal management fee for the Close to Home Disaster and Emergency Fund.
About the EQT Foundation
The EQT Foundation was established by EQT Corporation, the nation’s largest natural gas producer, and is committed to the social and economic vitality of our operating regions. The EQT Foundation believes in meaningful engagement with the communities it calls home and takes great pride in the role as both a responsible and responsive corporate citizen. The EQT Foundation has developed strong partnerships with a variety of nonprofit organizations to enrich the diversity and viability of our communities, sustain the principles of continuous learning, and focus on environmental protection efforts. Read more at: www.eqt.com/community/eqt-foundation.
About the Washington County Community Foundation
The mission of the Washington County Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life in Washington County by promoting and facilitating philanthropy. It was one of the first community foundations in the country to be approved for the rigorous National Standards for Community Foundations and was re-accredited in 2020. It is the largest publicly-supported grant-making foundation in Washington County and cumulatively has provided approximately $17 million in grants.