Jones County Disaster Relief Fund continues to support COVID recovery efforts

For more than a year, grants from the Jones County Community Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund have supported families, schools and nonprofits that face new challenges because of the pandemic. Gifts from generous donors have allowed the Community Foundation to award nearly $18,000 to Jones County schools and nonprofits providing food, personal protective equipment, educational materials, child care, internet access and utility assistance. 

A recent award to the American Legion Wapsie Post 473 in Oxford Junction will help the veterans service organization recover from the loss of fundraising opportunities, primarily through rental of its building as an event venue, in 2020. 

“The American Legion has long maintained a strong and positive influence in the Oxford Junction community, and we want to continue to make an impact in the years to come,” says Bill Goodman, service officer. “This grant allows us to partially recover from the losses we have incurred and cover necessary expenses so that we are able to continue serving the entire community.”

The Anamosa Library & Learning Center has leveraged an award from the Disaster Relief Fund to purchase eight laptops and accompanying software. The laptops will be loaned for three to six weeks to families with library accounts in good standing. 

“Families have discovered that they do not have enough technology to meet the needs of each family member,” says library director Rebecca Vernon. “A family of five with two parents working from home and three children needing devices for school work may find it difficult to manage the technology needs of each member.” 

The Disaster Relief Fund accepts applications and awards grants on a rolling basis, and is still accepting gifts to help the community face new challenges head on. To learn more, contact Sherri Hunt at 319-551-3402 or jccf@dbqfoundation.org.