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Elgin Covid Response Fund awards $25,000 for mental health services

Press Release from the City of Elgin:

ECRF has now distributed a total of $225,000 in financial assistance to Elgin residents in need

Elgin, IL –  The Elgin Covid Response Fund (ECRF) will grant $25,000 to Family Service Association of Greater Elgin (FSA) to deliver mental health services to Elgin children and adolescents of communities who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and face barriers to accessing those services.

This recent grant will help address the increased need for mental health services as a result of the pandemic. Mental health service needs have increased with children and adolescents navigating major disruptions to their lives and COVID-related impacts on their families. Without intervention and support, there can be lasting consequences to the wellness of local youth, including their academic and socio-emotional health.

“In the same way that people of color were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, youth of color have been disproportionately impacted by the mental health effects of the pandemic. With this much needed funding, FSA intends to employ outreach strategies to communities that are often disengaged from mental health services, including BIPOC and LGBTQ communities and those with less financial resources,” says Bernadette May, Executive Director of Family Service Association of Greater Elgin. “We are incredibly grateful for this support as we seek to carry out our mission in concert with our community partners.”

ECRF has now distributed a total of $225,000 in financial assistance to Elgin individuals and families for housing and utilities, food, childcare and medical needs. The latest $25,000 was contributed to ECRF by the United Way of Metro Chicago, a steering committee member of the fund.

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Abby Vagnoni

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YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

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