United Way creates blizzard relief fund for nonprofits helping residents impacted by storm

The United Way Community Resilience Fund aims to address both immediate and long-term community needs in the wake of the devastating storm, said Trina Burruss, the United Way's president and CEO.

The funds raised will go toward nonprofit organizations working on the front lines to support residents impacted by the storm.

"What we're hearing a lot about is food replacement, transportation issues, loss of wages," she said. Property damage – such as water damage from burst pipes – is also a pressing issue.

Burruss said the goal is to support the large percentage of community residents living paycheck to paycheck, coping with unexpected financial hardships brought on by the storm.

"For most of us, the snow is melting and as soon as we could get our cars out, that was the end of it, perhaps," Burruss said. "But for the 40% of the community that can't respond to even small emergencies, this is not over yet." 

The fund's goal is to help those economically vulnerable residents recover from this emergency, and build their financial security for the future, she said.

The Resilience Fund also wants to support the mental health of nonprofit workers who have been responding to a string of crises, from the pandemic, to the May 14 shootings, to the blizzard, Burruss said.

"We hope to be able to bring some assistance in that way as well, although admittedly we don't know what that looks like yet. But that's on our radar."

The fund was launched last weekend and does not have a fundraising goal attached to it. Burruss said even after donations related to the blizzard response are collected and distributed, the fund could be reactivated quickly if another emergency strikes.

"It really is meant to be a legacy part of our work here at United Way, so that we can quickly respond and connect the for-profit, nonprofit, philanthropic community to the nonprofits that need assistance," she said.