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Community Sharing Fund is a unique program that exists to provide immediate financial assistance to individuals and families in need of support to help avert a crisis. When our neighbors have exhausted all other forms of emergency assistance and face the possibilities of becoming homeless, unable to maintain transportation to their job, or obtain other basic needs, they can turn to Community Sharing Fund to help them to remain self-sufficient. Community Sharing Fund partners with a network of community social service agencies to provide immediate help for neighbors in need.
Today, when people stand to lose everything without timely assistance, Community Sharing Fund is available to provide grants ranging for $50 to $500 to stabilize the situation.
The grants are small, but their impact is immense. Grants may augment other programs and resources, or may be the last resort when there is no other assistance available. A grant to pay rent keeps a family from becoming homeless. Grants make an individual's car payment, ending the threat of repossession and ensuring transportation to work. Grants pay for fans to cool the summer’s heat, a deadly threat for the very young, sick or elderly. Unexpected medical expenses can be covered by a grant. Grants provide the right help at the right time to stabilize housing, employment and, ultimately, ensure economic independence and self-sufficiency.
For Mark, a six-year-old boy with autism, $500 helped purchase a device that allowed him to communicate and stay in school. For Daniel, a terminally ill homeless man, $230 enabled him to move out of his car to a comfortable and dignified place to die. For Trong, $500 covered the mortgage payment after his wife died and he had to take time off work to care for his four small children and make arrangements for life without their mother.
The Community Sharing Fund serves any person or family in crisis residing in Dakota, Ramsey or Washington counties. Geographic location is the only criteria for eligibility; the Fund does not use traditional, often exclusionary criteria such as parental status, age group or income level. This means it is extremely flexible and nonrestrictive—a true last, or only, resort for many people.
Although each response to a request is based on individual circumstances, Community Sharing Fund staff consider factors such as whether a grant will avert a life crisis, and whether there is reason to believe that the family or individual has a good chance of recovery from the crisis at hand and can remain self-sufficient. Staff also carefully evaluate whether other resources are available to meet the need, and, if so, help applicants find assistance elsewhere. This preserves the Community Sharing Fund for true last-resort emergencies, the unique and intended purpose of the program.
The Saint Paul Foundation is the founder, primary funder, fundraiser and administrator of the Community Sharing Fund. This program builds on the Foundation’s successful 60-year track record of community grantmaking, long-standing collaboration with nonprofit organizations and community partners, and connection to individual donors with a passion for making a difference in the Saint Paul area.
Through the Community Sharing Fund, the Foundation also helps increase the capacity of partner organizations by providing information about other community resources that can help individuals and families regain control of their lives. In addition to making recommendations on a case-by-case basis, Community Sharing Fund hosts networking events six times a year where frontline social workers can learn from the Foundation and each other about community resources.
Applications for grants from the Community Sharing Fund may be submitted on behalf of residents of Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties by nonprofit organizations that are assisting them. Applications directly from individuals are not accepted. Organizations seeking grants from the Community Sharing Fund on behalf of their clients can find guidelines and an application form online. For more information, e-mail Michael Conaboy, Community Sharing Fund program associate, at mjc@saintpaulfoundation.org. |
Julie is the single mother of Mark and his nine-year-old sibling. At the age of three, Mark was diagnosed with autism. Mark attends an Early Childhood Special Education program five days a week. In January 2005, Mark’s mother, Julie, was seeking financial assistance in purchasing a new DynaMyte communication device that would allow him to communicate and participate rather than just observe in class. The device was only available from DynaVox Systems, LLC at the cost of $6,700. During a free trial period Mark was able to use the unit instantly. The family’s insurance would pay a maximum of 70%, or $4,690, leaving an unmet need of $2,010. Julie applied to the Community Sharing Fund through Ramsey County Human Services and received the final $500 she needed to purchase this life-altering device.
Daniel was a homeless man that had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Daniel had gone from living outside to recently living in a car. Though approved to enter hospice care at Our Lady of Good Council, a bed was not currently available. The providers at Joseph’s Coat became aware of Daniel’s situation and determined that he was too sick to live in his car during the hot and rainy month of September 2005. Liz, the Joseph’s Coat social worker helping Daniel, applied for a grant from the Community Sharing Fund to provide temporary housing in a room at the Crosby Lake Inn until a hospice bed became available. A grant for $230 was approved and Daniel was able to move into a room, where he died with dignity and respect a few days later.
Trong Vang and his wife were parents of three children ages eight, nine and fourteen when she became pregnant with their fourth child. Mrs. Vang was in poor health with diabetes and high blood pressure contributing to the pre-mature delivery of their baby by C-section. Shortly after delivery, Mrs. Vang went into a coma and passed away a few days later. Trong had to take off time from work to care for his newborn and three other children, while making funeral arrangements for his wife and their mother. He had only accumulated two weeks of paid leave, which wasn’t sufficient time to take care of these overwhelming responsibilities. Mia from Community Action Program applied to the Community Sharing Fund on the family’s behalf and was granted $500 to help pay the $693 mortgage payment so Trong could have a few more weeks off of work to care for his family.
The Fund has hundreds of additional examples that illustrate how one small grant can ensure a family or individual can remain self-sufficient. |
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