COVID-19 relief fund hopes to ease the pain in groups hit hard by coronavirus

The Coastal Community Foundation launched its COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund earlier this week to provide resources to the local community during the coronavirus outbreak.

Donations will help groups ranging from senior citizens to hospitality workers in nine counties, including Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley.

“By pooling our resources now to support those most affected, our region will be better equipped to respond quickly and sustain that response over the duration of this crisis,” CCF president Darrin Goss said in a press release.

Coastal Community Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to building the community.

The COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund hopes to sustain South Carolina’s coastal counties and beyond by providing additional resources to respond to coronavirus’ impacts to the state.

“In this time of separation, it’s important that we stay community-minded,” Goss tells the City Paper. “Even if we can’t go out and congregate with one another, we can still help our neighbors in a time of great need.”

The full repercussions of COVID-19 on the Lowcountry are difficult to measure at the time. Social distancing, the primary method to halt the spread of the disease, has led many businesses to close their physical locations for an indefinite amount of time. Over 200 restaurants have expanded their curbside pick-up and delivery options to cope with the economic fallout of recent statewide ordinances to end dining-in for the time being.

Visit the fund’s FAQ for information on how to donate, apply for grants, and more.