(JTA) — The UJA-Federation of New York has made available more than $34 million in grants and loans to assist vulnerable New Yorkers most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, including organizations providing food relief and social service agencies.
As of Thursday morning, New York state had a total of nearly 84,000 cases and over 2,200 deaths, with New York City as the hardest hit area.
The first round of $23 million was allocated on March 23. Among the recipients was the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty to assist in operations and supplying food pantries across New York, with a focus on food insufficiency among homebound senior citizens, children who are not receiving city-funded hot meals due to school closures, and the unemployed. The grant also will provide emergency Passover meals to more than 180,000 Jewish New Yorkers in need.
As part of the first round of funding, UJA also established a $20 million loan fund at the Hebrew Free Loan Society to offer zero-interest loans to UJA partner agencies that are under financial stress, as well as a $1 million loan to ensure that the organization could continue to provide loans to small businesses.
Earlier this week, UJA-Federation announced an additional $11 million in grants and loans — to help single parents, low-income college students and families struggling to provide dignified Jewish burials, and for 22 regional Jewish Community Centers that provide human services and Jewish engagement opportunities.
“Ten days ago, we allocated over $23 million in our first wave of emergency funding for essential food programs and to help provide our network of human service agencies with cash flow to operate,” said Eric S. Goldstein, UJA CEO, in a statement. “Today’s second wave of funding will help sustain our vital Jewish community centers (JCCs) that provide physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits to thousands of New Yorkers, and who —without immediate assistance —are at risk of running out of resources in just a few months.”
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