Foundation Provides $5M In COVID-19 Relief Throughout Napa Valley

NAPA COUNTY, CA— The Napa Valley Community Foundation announced Wednesday that generous support recently received from hundreds of donors has helped provide nearly $5 million in pandemic-related grant assistance and direct cash aid.

In March and April when the coronavirus crisis began to affect the Napa County economy, the foundation approved expenditures for grants totaling $3.7 million from the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund. The foundation then provided grants supporting public health services, safety net programs and financial assistance for residents who lost their jobs or had their work hours cut but were not able to access government unemployment benefits.

Following its decision Wednesday to spend up to $1.2 million from the Disaster Relief Fund for its cash aid program benefiting farmworkers and workers who are quarantined but can't afford to miss work, the foundation again thanked donors who helped the group provide a new total of $4.9 million in pandemic-related grant assistance.

The foundation said for the past three months it has partnered with two nonprofit agencies — On The Move and UpValley Family Center — for the delivery of cash aid payments to Napa County households in need.

More than 1,000 Napa Valley households have received payments, with an average award thus far of $1,200 per household.

The foundation issues the payments through its Emergency Financial Assistance program. More than 3,100 households have been screened for assistance and 1,550 have been identified as eligible.

"Until recently, our cash aid program was largely a response to economic hardship," said Terence Mulligan, president and CEO of the Napa Valley Community Foundation. "Now it is also about helping to prevent community spread of the virus, because we are supporting farmworkers and families who test positive to remain in quarantine."

Moving forward, staff at On The Move and UpValley Family Centers will work closely with the Napa County Public Health Department to provide cash aid and case management services to eligible low-income residents who are COVID-positive and required to go into quarantine and/or isolation.

Low-income people and families who test positive for the coronavirus are referred directly by Napa County Public Health staff to the Emergency Financial Assistance program. Napa County residents facing economic hardship because of the pandemic — who don't qualify for government unemployment benefits and whose household income is at or below 120 percent of Area Median Income — can seek assistance by contacting On The Move or UpValley Family Centers.

"Making sure people who test positive for COVID-19 can afford to remain in their homes while they are unable to work is critical," said Dr. Karen Relucio, Napa County Public Health Officer. "We are grateful to NVCF and its partners for helping us meet the basic needs of these individuals and families — and for helping us protect the wider community by doing so."

Residents of Calistoga, St. Helena and surrounding areas who would like to apply for financial assistance from Napa Valley Community Foundation should call 707-965-5010 or send an email to efa@upvalleyfamilycenters.org.

Residents of Napa, Yountville and American Canyon who would like to apply for financial assistance from Napa Valley Community Foundation should call: 707-363-8390 or send an email to efa@onthemovebayarea.org.

Since the arrival of the virus in Napa County, local residents, families, corporations and foundations have donated over $1.7 million toward the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund. The Napa Valley Community Foundation has been managing the fund since its formation by Napa Valley Vintners in response to the 2014 South Napa Earthquake. Donations made during the coronavirus pandemic continue to help the foundation blunt the effects of COVID-19 in Napa Valley.