The Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) have partnered on an $85,000 grant initiative that will support organizations at the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Orleans Parish. The Request for Proposals opened on July 1, 2020, and ran through July 31. The eight organizations that received funding are listed in the “Funding Recipients” section below.  

The Challenge 
Despite having been cited as one of the early epicenters of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Orleans Parish has responded with a robust and effective control strategy that has brought new infections to a manageable level. Nevertheless, with several regions of the country experiencing their highest rates of infection of the pandemic, Orleans Parish must prepare for the possibility of a similar spike in cases given the recently phased reopening. It is essential that we provide our community-based organizations at the frontline of this pandemic the support they need to recover from these first few months and to prepare for the future.  

The Opportunity 
In close collaboration with local and statewide partners and funders, LPHI will administer the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund. This fund will be distributed directly to Louisiana-based nonprofit organizations in Orleans Parish that are providing community-based health care services, engaging in direct COVID-19 response, and directly contributing to response and recovery efforts in our community. 

Projects this Fund Aims to Support 
This fund will be directed at supporting organizational expenditures, including but not limited to lodging, meals, child-care, and transportation for workers; financial assistance to their patients and/or their families during a time of hospitalization; purchasing COVID-related supplies; the development or purchase of COVID-related educational materials, and initiating mid-term recovery efforts, such as mental health treatment for frontline workers; and planning and preparedness efforts for the next emergency.  

With this fund, LPHI is focusing on short- and medium-term projects and is, therefore, looking for projects that would be completed by December 31, 2020 (all funding must be expended by this date, as well).  

Funding Recipients
LPHI has selected eight organizations to receive mini-grants of up to $10,000. The recipients are:

• EXCELth, Inc.
• City of New Orleans Health Care for the Homeless
• Luke’s House
• NOELA Community Health Center
• Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc.
• Operation Restoration
• START Community Health Center
• Vietnamese Initiatives in Economic Training (VIET)