Packers Give Back supporting 10 local organizations with first round of COVID-19 community relief funds

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Following last week's announcement that the Green Bay Packers have established a $1.5 million COVID-19 Community Relief Fund through Packers Give Back, the first round of grants has been given to provide immediate support to Brown County residents facing challenges caused by the pandemic.


The first round of emergency response grants through Packers Give Back and the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, totaling $283,000, have been given to 20 organizations across Brown, Kewaunee and Oconto counties.


These grants help address food and hygiene needs, housing assistance, transportation, medication and other basic needs. Recipients range from food pantries to homeless shelters and organizations serving individuals with disabilities.


Additionally, Brown County United Way has also awarded its first round of grants to Brown County agencies, totaling $71,704. Among the areas of need addressed by the grants are shelter, meals, specialized support for specific populations in need, childcare resources and other basic needs.


Ten area nonprofits will receive the first rounds of grants from Packers Give Back, including:

• Green Bay Area Public Schools: Green Bay Area Public Schools will rely on the grant award for a weekend meal program for families at selected Green Bay Area Public School sites.
• Green Bay First Food Pantry: Green Bay First Food Pantry is serving the community with curbside pickup and delivery of food through First Assembly of God Church. This award will enable the pantry to expand services from twice monthly to seven days a week for those increasingly facing food insecurity.
• House of Hope: House of Hope provides a safe and supportive place for young parents and children experiencing homelessness. This grant award will support flexible housing options for clients and specific shelter room needs in response to the current health crisis.
• New Community Shelter: New Community Shelter provides safe temporary shelter, meals, education, and support to adult men and women. This grant award will fund the organization's Community Meal Program which supports non-shelter community members with hot to-go meal boxes.
• St. John the Evangelist Homeless Shelter: St. John's supports individuals who are at-risk for or experiencing homelessness in the greater Green Bay community. Grant funds will address emergency shelter services, sanitation supplies, basic needs, transportation and motel vouchers for those in need.
• Salvation Army Green Bay: The Salvation Army will rely on the grant award to support the lunch program and the food pantry program that distributes bags of food to community members. Funds will also be used to support transportation and delivery services associated with the meal program.
• Transformation House: Transformation House provides men with shelter and programming at a reduced rate. Grant funds will be used to provide additional meals, hygiene products and other needs for the increased numbers of clients being served.
• Vivent Health: Vivent Health supports people affected by HIV. Grant funds will be used to support the organization's food and medication delivery assistance programs, as well as its housing assistance efforts.
• We All Rise: African American Resource Center: We All Rise supports the African American community. This grant award will allow this organization to support clients with food, hotel vouchers, rental assistance and other basic necessities.
• YWCA of Greater Green Bay: The YWCA of Greater Green Bay will use grant funds to cover the cost of planning, designing and marketing a childcare center plan for essential workers who are still in need of childcare resources.

In addition to the $1 million of support earmarked for Brown County, the Packers Give Back COVID-19 Relief Fund also is directing $500,000 to support initiatives in the Milwaukee area; information about those funds will be announced at a later date.


Combined, the first round of grants distributed to local nonprofit organizations through Packers Give Back, the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and Brown County United Way totals $354,704.


The total community support, including the funds established by Packers Give Back, the Community Foundation and the Brown County United Way that have yet to be distributed, has now exceeded $2.5 million, as the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation Emergency Response Fund has topped $1.3 million and the Brown County United Way Emergency Response Fund has reached $213,000.


The Community Foundation's fund will provide nonprofits in Brown, Kewaunee and Oconto counties with flexible resources to help support their immediate, urgent needs, with a priority given to direct service of the people most affected by this public health crisis. The grant recipients include:

• ASPIRO: ASPIRO creates opportunities for people with disabilities to reach goals, connect with community, and achieve independence. This grant award will provide emergency support to clients along with wage support for clients who are in contracted work.
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay: The Boys & Girls Club supports youth in achieving academic success, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle. This grant award will provide direct basic needs assistance to Club members and their families with health and hygiene supplies, educational materials and enrichment activities.
• De Pere Unified School District: The Unified School District of De Pere will use funds to purchase nonperishable foods for weekend meal bags to be distributed to the families in greatest need.
• Freedom House Ministries: Freedom House Ministries provides shelter, food, clothing, household goods and case management for families struggling with homelessness. This grant award will fund food and supplies needed to continue meeting clients' basic needs.
• Green Bay First Food Pantry: Green Bay First Food Pantry is serving the community through First Assembly of God Church. This award will enable the pantry to expand services from twice monthly to daily for those increasingly facing food insecurity.
• Kewaunee Food Pantry: The pantry has seen increased usage while having to cancel donation events. Funds will purchase food to meet the growing demand and restock the pantry.
• Love Life Ministry: Love Life Ministry provides ecumenical support to infants and new families and will use grant funds to provide clients with diapers, formula, new infant clothing, bottles and other basic necessities that young children need on an ongoing basis.
• Our Savior's Lutheran Church of Denmark: Our Savior's Lutheran Church hosts a pop-up pantry in Denmark that serves the rural area's families for a small fee. With increased usage and greater need, this grant will provide food at no cost to families.
• Paul's Pantry: Paul's Pantry is a volunteer-based pantry. Grant funds will be used to purchase nonperishable food items for distribution directly to individuals and families in the community facing increased need.
• Resurrection Lutheran Church food pantry: Resurrection Lutheran Church's food pantry serves Brown County families each month thanks to donations from four partner churches and additional supplies. With churches closed and pantry usage on the rise, this grant funding will supply the pantry now supporting clients with parking lot service.
• St. Vincent de Paul: St. Vincent de Paul is a network serving people in need through relationships and support. Funds will provide rent, transportation and utility assistance to community clients.
• Vivent Health: Vivent Health supports people affected by HIV. Grant funds will be used to support the organization's food and medication delivery assistance programs, as well as its housing assistance efforts.
• We All Rise: African American Resource Center: We All Rise supports the African American community. This grant award will allow this organization to support clients with food, hotel vouchers, rental assistance and other basic necessities.

The Brown County United Way Emergency Response Fund is providing assistance through Brown County nonprofit agencies to people impacted by COVID-19, and if needed, local flooding, and other public crises that may arise in the future. The grant recipients include:

• Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay: The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay supports youth in achieving academic success, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle. This grant award will be used to provide direct basic needs assistance to Club members and their families with care packages of health and hygiene supplies as well as age-based educational materials and enrichment activities.
• Casa ALBA Melanie: Casa ALBA Melanie, a resource center for the Hispanic community in the greater Green Bay area, is providing increased support to those who may be unable to access federal and state assistance, including childcare, medical prescriptions or supplies, temporary housing or shelter and transportation.
• Ecumenical Partnership for Housing: Ecumenical Partnership for Housing, a resource for families with children at-risk of or experiencing homelessness, will rely on this grant funding to provide increased case management and direct support to keep families in long-term housing and avoid eviction leading to homelessness.
• Family & Childcare Resources of Northeast Wisconsin: Family & Childcare Resources, which provides education, support and programs to families and early childhood professionals, will provide group and family childcare programs with essential supplies including food and cleaning products, ensuring they remain open for essential workers.
• Golden House: Golden House, which supports victims of domestic violence and leads community efforts to end domestic abuse, will provide off-site secure housing for victims seeking support during the pandemic. Golden House will provide food, clothing and other basic needs and transportation assistance and follow-up care through mobile advocacy.
• Green Bay Community Church: The church campus is a site for breakfast and lunch for the families of the Howard-Suamico School District. Funding will help meet community needs of transportation, housing, diapers, formula, food and other basic items.
• Resurrection Lutheran Church Food Pantry: The food pantry serves families each month with donations from four partner churches. With churches closed and pantry usage on the rise, this grant funding will supply the pantry now supporting clients with parking lot service.
• St. John the Evangelist Homeless Shelter: St. John's supports individuals who are at-risk for or experiencing homelessness in the greater Green Bay community. Grant funds will address emergency shelter services, sanitation supplies, basic needs, transportation and motel vouchers for those in need.
• Salvation Army Green Bay: The Salvation Army will rely on the grant to support the lunch program and the food pantry program that distributes bags of food to community members as well as transportation and delivery services.
• We All Rise: African American Resource Center: We All Rise: African American Resource Center supports the African American community. This grant award will allow this organization to support clients with food, hotel vouchers, rental assistance and other basic necessities.

Funding will continue to reach the community through the work of local nonprofits who serve the community's most vulnerable. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis as review teams continue to consider pending requests and assess short- and long-term needs.


"Nonprofits depend on community support to ensure their long-term recovery, resilience and financial stability. Weathering this crisis will require sustained compassion and generosity from all of us," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy.


To donate via the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation:

• Online at www.ggbcf.org
• By mail: Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, 320 N. Broadway, Ste 260, Green Bay, WI 54303

To donate to Brown County United Way:


The collaboration that exists between the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Brown County United Way and the Packers ensures the latest information is being shared so resources can be quickly and efficiently distributed.