Crowe said the money will be used in a variety of ways to help rehabilitate homeless individuals in Clark County or aid those in danger of slipping into homelessness, particularly under the sour economy.
"These folks are widespread throughout the community, and the problem has become more urgent because of the job layoffs and some of the welfare systems aren't working," said Crowe. "We've got a lot of families that do not have the security of their own home."
Help is largely aimed at those who have experienced a sudden reduction in income. Crowe said she wants to get the word out to individuals on unemployment. Money is also available to migrant workers and people who have been released from jail.
However, Crowe stressed that the money will not fund any free rides.
Community Services wants to help individuals who are willing to engage in the rehabilitation effort, present a written plan for recovery and submit to case management, she said. She described the effort as a "temporary safety net."
"We don't want to put them in a rocking chair to where they can just ride it out," Crowe said. "We really want to put some accountability into this."
Traditionally, the Community Foundation invites local nonprofits to apply for grant funding each year using earnings on the foundation's endowments to fund the grants. A plunge in the stock market forced the foundation to forgo the program this year.
As an alternative, the foundation used money from a 2008 "rainy day fund" to provide the homeless grant and fund a school dental program.
Crowe said most of the fundraising occurred on a grassroots level.
Several businesses contributed and about 35 to 40 percent of the donations came from churches. Only $5,500 arrived in the form of pledges, Crowe said. Cash and checks comprised the rest.
"We've got any where from $10 and $15 donations up to $5,000 donations, so it has been everywhere in between," she said.
Community Services has already begun to use the money and sent documentation for the match. Meanwhile, the foundation plans to send a check this week, Crowe said.
"We exceeded the goal," she said.
Contact Mike Wynn at mwynn@winchestersun.com
