The Rotary Club of Gettysburg recently donated $30,000 to South Central Community Action Programs to help the organization assist families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 and the temporary closing of local businesses has significantly impacted Adams County residents, according to SCCAP Chief Executive Officer Megan Shreve. Many essential workers were laid off, lost work, or had increased costs due to the pandemic. The Rotary Club of Gettysburg and its membership are committed to making sure this crisis does not become a life altering event for Adams County families, Rotary President Brad Hoch said.
“We are so appreciative of this grant from the Rotary Club of Gettysburg,” Shreve said. “Powered by Rotary, we will be able to provide coordinated assistance designed for long-term stability. No one should lose housing or have difficulty getting back to work because of a pandemic that was out of their control. These funds, aimed at helping individuals impacted by COVID-19, will be used to prevent eviction, get people quickly housed, assist with legally operating childcare for workers, or assist with items needed for work or transportation to work. These flexible funds allow us to do what a family needs to get them back on their feet, and we are so grateful for the help.”
The Rotary Club of Gettysburg Board of Directors felt “now is not the time to sit it out on the sidelines,” Hoch said. “When the national moratorium on home and rental evictions lapses, the hardship will worsen,” Hoch said. “Now is the time to do what we can. We cannot sit with cash in our pockets.” The $30,000 donation, presented Tuesday, is in addition to a $15,000 donation the Rotary Club of Gettysburg award to SCCAP last month. If a $5,000 grant the club applied for through its district is approved, the Rotary Club of Gettysburg’s total assistance to Adams County residents through SCCAP will be $50,000, Hoch said. “Many of us know director Megan Shreve. Many of us have seen the valuable work that SCCAP has done in our community for decades,” Hoch said. “However, board members were justifiably concerned about making a $30,000 donation without adequate oversight and financial accountability. We appreciate Megan and SCCAP understanding our concerns and commitment to timely and accurate reporting of results.”
The funds Rotary donated to SCCAP were made possible through a reserve account created seven years ago by its board under the leadership of then-president Mike Hanson. “At least seven Rotary presidents and dozens of board members and general members have expended hours in the search for a ‘Wow’ project. They have worked to accumulate, to grow and to steward club resources waiting for a moment in time when our help could make a decisive difference in the lives of our friends, our neighbors,” Hoch said.
The Rotary Club of Gettysburg is currently meeting the second and fourth Mondays of each month at noon via the Zoom video conferencing app. Anyone who wishes to learn more about the club and its commitment to assisting people in Adams County and throughout the entire world should email rotaryclubofgettysburg@gmail.com. “Our club only becomes stronger if our membership is strong. We invite those who have a commitment to service to consider membership,” Hoch said.