As the impacts of COVID-19 are felt across the country, we depend on each other in countless ways.
The Need
In our four-county region, many of our friends and neighbors are living paycheck to paycheck – with 23.7% of total population in Bryan County, 25% in Chatham, 24.6% in Effingham, and almost 36% in Liberty County considered asset limited, income constrained, yet employed. As governments, schools, and businesses respond to public health recommendations to close or limit operation, many people have already or will lose their jobs and will experience extreme financial challenges.
The Response
United Way will distribute 100% of the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund for families to retain stable housing and address essential needs as well as provide emergency funding to its partner agencies. Any funds remaining after the pandemic will be allocated to United Way’s general emergency relief fund. The emergency relief fund allows the organization to respond immediately to critical, emerging needs like those surrounding a hurricane or natural disaster.
For interested philanthropic and business partners, please contact Kim Tanner at 912.651.7716.
How the fund is being used
More than $689,000 in donations have come through our doors, mailbox, and phone lines to help those in need since the coronavirus pandemic began (as of 8/26/20). We asked for our community’s support, and you responded, demonstrating great generosity and sincere concern for our neighbors experiencing the most severe impacts. Thank you!
United Way has distributed $572,963 of the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund, helping more than 1,800 friends and neighbors in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty Counties to date. The greatest needs have been for housing and utilities.
To help bridge the technology gap that limits access to learning, we granted $54,000 to Savannah Chatham County Public School System and Effingham County School System to purchase Chromebooks for students in schools with the highest levels of poverty.
COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund
- Not Yet Distributed
- SCCPSS & ECSS Tablets
- Agency Emergency Funding
- Utilities
- Housing
- Not Yet Distributed
- SCCPSS & ECSS Tablets
- Agency Emergency Funding
- Utilities
- Housing
Total funds over $689,000
*As of 08/26/2020
Thank you to our donors
$50,000+
Anonymous | Chatham Foundation | The Savannah Community Foundation
$10,000-$49,999
Anonymous (2) | The Byck Foundation on behalf of Mrs. Judy A. Byck, Anthony S. and Donna Eichholz, and Caroline Eichholz | Colonial Group* | Lamar Davis | GAF | Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation | JE Dunn Construction | South State Bank | Truist Foundation | Wells Fargo
$5,000-$9,999
Anonymous* | Anonymous | CareSource | Consolidated & Inc. | Gail & Speir Flanders | LeeAnn & Jeff Kole* | Sterling Seacrest Partners | Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church
$1,000-$4,999
Anonymous (3) | lesley anton:utility | BankSouth | John Branigin~ | Herb & Karen Burnsed | Mike Cannon | Jan Carter | Jill Cheeks | Shannon Christopher Photography | Coastal Drug Company | Critz Family* | William Daniel, Jr. | David Davenport |Doctor Suds Car Wash | W. Bernard Doyle | Celia & Larry Dunn* | W Encherman & M Leugers Giving Fund | Sharon Estes | Kenneth Fandrich | Kay and Bob Ford | Forever Tybee~ | Kathy & Rob Fritz | Doug & Patricia Giorgia | Julie Harelson | Timothy Hargus* | Kathleen Horne | Mike Hosti~ | Jewish Community Foundation* | Elisabeth Karlstrom | Michael Kaslik | Theresa L. & David J. Kaye | Becky & Bill Keightley | Mr. & Mrs. Aaron Levy* | Tom Matthews | Samuel McCachern | Peter Mierke | Kathleen & Robert Miller | Tim Nichols | Maria & Benjamin Oxnard | Paddison Family* | Sandra Murray Page | Parker’s | Diane and Henry Parkman~ | Sandra Parrott | John Picker | Jane & Paul Pressley* | Barbara Rehberg | Cecilia Russo Marketing | Robb Sallee | William B. Saxman | Shirley Sessions~ | D Richard & Melanie Smith | The Solomons Family* | Stop N Stor | Marti & Austin Sullivan | Marsha Thomas~ | Cecilia & Bob Turner | Jim & Janet Stevenson| Maureen & Michael Warren | Anne West* | WTOC-TV in memory of Craig Harney**
$500-$999
Curtis & Elizabeth Anderson* | Anonymous | Bradley* | Aiden Burgdorf | Donna Cantrell | John Cay* | Michael Dobbs | Sam Galbo | Donald & Lynne Greeley Howe | Gregory Howe | William Johnston | Martha Joiner | Ben & Suzy Karpf | Sheila Keller | Robert M. Levy | Holly Lewis | Francisco Marrero | Gordon Matthews* | Jean McCormick | Marilyn Mead | Mary Moffat | Patty & Jim Morgan | Mary R. Morrison | Winifred Mund | Kathy & Bill Oakley | Jeff & Ellen O’Connor | Richard Reuss | John Sewell | The South Mountain Group, Inc.~ | Bert Tenenbaum*| Michael Toma | Michael Wong | Pamela H. Young*
Up to $499
Leigh Acevedo | Jeffrey Adams| Susan Adams~ | Stella Akridge | Kristina Alexander | David Allen | Patricia Allgood | Lissa & Edward Alvarez | Andy Anderson | Warren Andrews | Debra Andrews | Anonymous (35) | Patricia Armour | Nancy Arteberry | Eva Ashley | Jeanine Ball | Kristina Banks | Carol Barbary~ | MaryAnn Barbieri | Kimberly Barnhill | Joye Barras | Arthur Barton | Alfred Beers | Carol Bell | Glorous Bell | Lisa Bendler | Nathan Benson | Carol Benton | Pamela Bernard | Karen Bickley | Abby Bigg | Gerald Blackman | Carol Ann Blauvelt | Patricia Blocker| Leif Blomberg| Richard & Merry Bodziner | Carol Booker | Connie Boole | Sylvester Boston | Charlie & Bonnie Bowers | Catherine Bowman | Genevieve Boyle | Colleen Bozard~ | Debera Brabham | Kellie Bradbury | Kayce Bradbury | Daniel Bradley* | LaToya Brannen | Barbara Brewton | Karen Brindley | Penny Brockbank | Thomas Broderick | Edwin Brown | Linda Brown | Vera Brown | Kay Bruce | Stephanie Bruen | Vicky Bryant | Christine Bulloch | Kim Bulluck | Art Burdett | Nicholas Burke | David Burkoff | Shirley Burns | Barbara Burt | Linda Butler | Pamela Buttimer | Marsha Byrd | Mehmet Caglayan | Debra Caldwell | Debra & Nick Calvert | Sally Cameron~ | Krystle Campbell | Cassandra Campbell | Sybil M. Cannon | Cheryl Capers | Ginger & Jerry Caplan | Anita Cardenas | Alessandra Carno | Shevon Carr |Shelia Carter | Billy Cates | Hilda Cawley | Edie Chancey | Carie Chaney | Kimberly Chappell-Stevens | Roy Chasteen | Feng Chen | Sharon Chichester | Nicholas Chimes | Dolly Chisholm* | Jannet Chisolm | Robert Chvatal | Carol Clary | Claire Clarkson* |Francis Clearo | Susan Clifford | Randall Collins | Arthur Conyers | Kathy Cook | Susan Craddock | Heather Crampton | Kristen Crawley | Cindy Creed | Elizabeth Crenshaw | Andrew Cripps | Dr. and Mrs. Henry G. Croci | Carolyn Hale Cubbedge | Rosa L. Cummings | Eric Curl | Joy Curry | Karen Daniel | Carolyn Daniels | Anne Dark | Leon Davenport | Paul Davenport | Jessica Davis | Shirley Davis | Archie H. Davis* | Deborah Dawson |Susan Daye | Eleanore Leavitt De Sole* | Acquanetta Deaton | Leia Dedic | Maria Dela Cruz | Kathy Dennis~ | Roger Deschenes | Beverly Dillard | Leigh Dillon | Eugene Dixon | Mary Dixon | Jared Downs | Brian & Mary Duffy | Cheryl Dukes | Tommonica Dunham | Judith Dunn | Susan Durden | Natalie Durrence | Sharon H. Durrence | Linda Eagan | Stephanie Eben | Richard & Georgia Edwards | Caroline Eichholz | Joanna Ellis | Lillian Ellis | Shane Ellison | June Erlandson | Laura Evans | Corrine Evans | Deborah Evans-Jackson | Sprague Exley* | Renee Fabrikant in loving memory of Jim Fabrikant | Robert Faircloth | Donna Faison | James P. Fallon | Justin Farquhar | Susan Fearon | Linda Fennell | Patricia Ferguson | Courtney Fetz | John Findeis | Janine Finn | Rosalyn Finnegan | Keisha Flemister | Ernest Floerke | Beverly Fluent | Bryce Fogle | Michael Foley | Suk Fonville | Brian Foster | Lisa Foster | Jerry Lee Fowler | Melissa Freeman~ | Penny Freesemann | Joan Gage | Maxine Gandy | Phyllis Gaston | Adelle & Ted Geffen | Jenny Gentry | Kristin Geriner | Helen Gibbs | Molly & Arthur Gignilliat | Karen Gilbert~ | Connie Glaser | Jennifer Glisson | Irmogene Glover | Martha Glover | Sharon Godbee | AM Goldkrand* | Cheryl Goldwire | Dr. Franklin & Cheryl Goldwire | Petula Gomillion | Brynn Grant | Lauren Grant | Thelma Grant | Lynne Gray | Kadeja Green |Mary Green | Lucille Green | Richardine Gresham | Susan Griffin | Jennifer Griffin | Sue Groover | Jennifer Grusheski | Eleanor Guy | Wanell Guyette | Henry Halback | Deborah Hall | Rebecca Hallowell | Barbara Hansen | Susan Harbin | Jenna Harcher | Margo Harris | Kelly Harris | Leroy Hart Jr | Susan Hartzog | Horace Harvey | Ginger Havens | Janet Haver | Mary Hawkins | Rose Hayes | Camille Hazel | Linda Heidt | Trinity Height | Linda Heller | Jewel Hendrix | Rebecca Hester | Harry Hezekiah | Fredrick Hickman | Tommy Hicks | Cathy Hill | Kiauna Hills | Ida Hines-Chance | Mary Hoffmann | Donald Holck | Julia & Lea Holliday | Lucille Holloway | Jules Homans | Virginia Hood | Scealy Hooker | Natarsha House | Gloria Hovind | Lynda Howard | Shanae Hudson | Edward Hughes~ | Regina & Robert Hunter | Ronald Hunter | Rahn Hutcheson | Jeff & Kathy Ignatoff | Eddie & Linda Jackson | Eva G. Jackson | Rosalind Jackson | Seaborn Jackson | Scott James | Debra January | Alice Jean | Anne Jeanblanc |Jessie Jenkins | Mary B Jenkins | Holly Jenkins | Leslie Johansen | Alicia Johnson | Carolyn Johnson | Debbie & Robert Johnson** | Lisa Johnson | Jackie Johnson | Paula Johnson | Barbara Johnson | Marrion Johnson | Margaret Jolley | Chandra Jones | Dennis Jones | Jessie M. Jones | Sandra Jones | Mattie Jones | Erlene Joyner | Michael Judson | Dawn Kaley | Lisa & Danny Kaminsky* | Wendy Katz | David Kelly | Ruby Kennedy | Deirdra Kennedy | Sharon Kennedy | Brenda Kenworthy | Joy Kerkhoff | Clare Killorin | Laura Kim | Joanna Kimbal | Amber Kimbrel | K. Knight | Jon Knotts | Christine Krukowsky & Tracy Rice | Philip Kucera | Rachel Kunert | Jennifer Kyle | Ethel LaCount | Norman Laird | Cassandra Lanier | Quaneishia Lanier | Grindel Larry | Kurt Lauer | Trish & Randy Lawrence | Margaret H. Lee | Josephine Lee | John Leffler | Elizabeth Lemons | Samantha & Jack Levine | Richard Levy | Ilene Lew | Deborah Lewis | Kim Lewis | Horace H. Leysath, Jr. | Michael Liedtka~ | Neil Ligon | Theresa Liles | Kellie Linder | Robert Lindsey | Clayton Livingston | Kathy Lloyd | Henry & Barbara Lloyd | Brandi Lockhart | Beth Logan | Lori Loncon | Robert & Rosemary Longueira | Elizabeth Lonon | Christina Love | Charlotte Lovett | J Lowe | Patricia Lowenthal | Alma Lucas | Lynda Lum | Deborah Macarin~ | Tracie & Joe Macke | Juan Madrigal | Martha Makel~ | Sarah Mancel | Frank Marro | Arlene Maxwell | Tasha Maxwell | Melany Mayers | In memory of B. Davis/Carolyn Maynor | Alice McCarthy~ | Jean McClary | Cliff McCurry | Monica McDermott | Brenda McDonald | Jason McDowell | Shamekia McGriff | Julia McIntosh | Lester McKinney | Jan McKinney | John & Laura Lane McKinnon | Brenda McMahon | Katherine McMillan | Charles McMillan in honor of Mandy | Jessy McMullan | John McNeal | Meshell McRell | Colleen Melton | Barbara Mendzie | Patricia Merritt | Sheila Michael | Shannon Middleton | Frank Mikula | Laura Miller | Terri Miller | Donald Mills | Charlie Milmine | Janet Ming | Julie Mitchell | Dr. Ismael & Cathy Montes | Dr. Andres Montes | Dana Moore Mullins | Betty Morgan | Consentine Morgan | Debbie Morse | Jacqueline Mumford | Amy Murphy | Jamilyn Murray | Carolyn Nails | Carol Nathan | Courtney Neibel | Stewart Nelms | Susan Nelson | Martha Nesbit | Katie Newton | Phyllis Nichols | Deborah Nicklas~ | Tara Nobles | Betsy Nolen | Cassandra Norton | Jonathan Nugent | Ashley Obrien | Tiffany Obrien~ | Jacquelyn Ogden** | Kristen Olinger | Valeria Oliver | Barbara Oliver | Tony Page | William J. & Carol A. Palmer | William Palmer | Joseph Palmer | Deborah Palmer~ | Pam Stewart & Mark Jackovich | Barbara & Peter Paolucci | Marianne Pappas~ | Carl Parrish~ | Lorraine Patterson | Ann & Timothy Paul* | Sarah Payton-Veal | Stephanie Peacock | David Peck | Karen P Penick~ | Katherine Perry | Joyce Petty | Greta Phillips | David Phillips | Marvin & Carol Pierce | Beth Pinson | Beverly Pirkle | Kerri Polanski | Cecil Pollen | Judy Poppell | Bob Portman | Joyce Powell | Lee Ann Powell | Mary Powell | Michele Powell | Linda Powers | John Prather | Helen S. Pregulman* | Susan Presley | Alan Preslicka | Ryan Price | Samuel Prince | Martin Pritzker | Kimiko Gelman Prosky | Tracy Rabuse | Nabil Rachedi | Kathryn Rady | Jeffrey Ragsdale | Candace Randolph | Kathleen Rapach | Susan Reed~ | Robert Register | Mark Rehermann | Betty Reynolds | Frances Reynolds | Kristine Rice | Jeanese Riley | Adrienne Ritchey | Bradley Rittenhouse | Julie Rivera | Richard Rizera | Lizann Roberts | Judy M. Roberts | Michele Robertson | Helen Rolfes | Collin Rourke | Diane Rousakis Biggs | Bryan Roux | Peter Rowe | Annette Rowe | Neil & Jane Russell | Leigh Ryan | Persephene Sams | Kathleen Sanford~ | Tracey Sapp | John Scanlon | Spencer Scarvey | Anne Scheer | Pat Schlauch | Cecelia Sears | Carole Seitz | Willis Shellman | Glynis Shipmon | Lisa Shuman | Daniel Silva | Brenda Simmons | Laura Skellie | Willard Skinner | Elizabeth Skrzypek | Robert Slagel | Mack Slayden | Charlotte Smalls | Elsie Smalls | Oveta Smalls | Chris Smith | Donna Smith | Jenny & David Smith | Maggie Smith | Robyn Smith | Sarah Smith | Aggalene Smith | Ann Smith-Wilson | Jean Solomon | Gail Sonn | Brenda Sorrells | Lee Southard | Cailey Sparks | Lisa Sparks | Kenneth L. Stanford | Mary Stanford | Terry J. Staten | Adele Stein | LouBrenda Stephens | Julia Stepp~ | Matt Stevens | Sarah Stevens | Cynthia Stewart | Marlar Stidem | Cheryl M. Stoker | Leo Story | Edith Strain | Robert E. Strasbaugh | John Sullivan | Dee Sutlive* | Gene & Joyce Sutton | Ernestine Sykes | Mary Tamosiunas | Tanner Family** | Everett Tanner~ | Dawn Tapley | Erin & Doug Tatum | Gwen Taylor | John Taylor | Nancy Terry | Marian Teuton | Malcolm Thomas | Jennifer Thompson | Maureen Thompson | Sheila Thompson | Roberta Thompson | Dale Thorpe* | Marla Troha | Robert Turner | Maria Tyler |Andy Van Epps | Margaret VanHouten | Alicia Venable | Diana Wagner | Bruce Walker | Dennis Wallace | Gregory Wallace | Rebecca Walter | Erica Walton | Kirk & Kim Warner | Elizabeth Waters | Wendy & James Waters | Rebecca Watson | Barbara Weaver | David Weems | James Wellen | Kathleen Wendelken | Sally Werntz | Edward Wexler | Gail L. Wexler* | Stephen Whiteway | Barbara Wight | Gwendolyn Wilcox | Gracie Wilkins | Mary-Cutter Williams | Sandra Williams | Bishop Andrew & Pastor Patricia Williams | Cleveland Williams | Jay Williams | William Williams | Brenda Williams | Felicia Williams | Christine Williams | Major Williams | Lisa Wilson | JhaBria Wiseman | John Woodward | Maureen Wozniak | Margaret & John Wylly | Chris Yarbrough | Linda Denise Young | Vanessa Young | Patricia Young | Dr. & Mrs. Zoller* | Dr. & Mrs. Zoller in memory of Dr. Leslie Wilkes
* In memory of Lorlee and Arnold Tenenbaum ** In memory of Craig Harney ~ Dedicated to Tybee