Last month, the California Endowment announced the first phase of the foundation’s urgent funding response to the COVID-19 pandemic in California. Grants totaling $5 million are being commissioned to support public health efforts and the social and health services needs of highly vulnerable Californians, including farm workers and day laborers, homeless and undocumented individuals.

“Our board of directors intends to set a tone of responsiveness and support for communities and populations at high risk for being impacted by this pandemic,” said Shawn Ginwright, a professor of African-American studies at San Francisco State University and chair of the California Endowment Board of Directors. “We look forward to engaging California’s public and private sectors as partners standing strong together to protect the public health and safety of our families, neighbors, communities of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientation and identities.”

In addition to supporting community clinics serving the most vulnerable on the front lines of this epidemic, funding will be provided to foundations which will deploy the resources to local non-profit organizations that provide essential social and health services to vulnerable Californians and to statewide networks and associations focused on health care delivery and public health systems. Additional funding will be targeted to those most likely to be severely impacted by COVID-19 due to lack of awareness, language barriers and lack of access to health care, including the homeless, low-wage earners such as farm workers and day laborers, and undocumented Californians.

“This is a critically important time for Californians to embrace and affirm that we are in this together, that a sense of belonging is critical for community wellness, and that we can only stem the tide of this pandemic if we stand together in solidarity and action,” said Bishop Minerva Carcaño, vice-chair of the board and a leader in the United Methodist Church.

While the Inland Empire and Central Valley have been identified as a priority for these resources, regional funding will also be targeted to Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, and Bay Area and Far North regions.

For information, visit calendow.org.