Coronavirus Coverage

Community Foundation of the Ozarks on Friday announced it’s partnering with Pitt Technology Group, WON Communications, Graybar and other area businesses to offer grants to local nonprofits with increased technology needs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Through one initiative, dubbed the COVID-19 Agency Technology Assistance Grant, Pitt Technology Group will provide up to $150,000 worth of services and equipment to nonprofits weekly until labor availability and funds have been exhausted. Pitt Technology Group plans to provide up to 2,500 staff hours during the extent of the grant, according to a news release.

“While most of PTG’s staff is busy remotely supporting client needs during this time, the employees who primarily install equipment have capacity because those projects have slowed,” said Kevin Waterland, co-owner and general manager of Pitt Technology, in the release. “We’re lucky to be deemed essential and I feel we owe it to our community to use this downtime to give back.”

Through a second initiative, called the COVID-19 Client Technology Access Grant, Pitt Technology Group will offer equipment and internet access via Wi-Fi zones set up in large parking lots. Through a partnership with WON Communications, Pitt Technology plans to offer the service in Springfield, Bolivar and surrounding areas.

The grant is designed to help residents who don’t have access to internet, connect with nonprofits, according to the release.

Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc. on Friday issued additional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund grants, bringing the total past $1 million in three weeks of giving.

In the third round of grants announced April 17, CFO awarded $79,500 to nine nonprofits, according to a news release.

At $19,500, the largest grant was presented to the Ozarks SySTEAMic Coalition to support production of 3D-printed face shields for emergency workers. The nonprofit, which is known as O-STEAM, supports science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics in the Ozarks, according to its website.

The other nonprofits that received grants are:
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, $15,000 to provide food, supplies and virtual programming to its members;
• National Alliance on Mental Illness, $15,000 toward expenses for virtual support groups and its Warmline mental health service;
• Isabel’s House Crisis Nursery, $7,000 to purchase food, cleaning supplies and program materials for children who are in residence at the nonprofit;
• Children’s Smile Center, $5,000 to provide emergency dental support in Christian County;
• Ministerial Alliance of the Hermann Area, $5,000 to assist low-income families who are impacted by COVID-19;
• Mountain Grove Love Center Food Pantry, $5,000 to distribute food;
• Shepherd’s Nook Food Pantry, $5,000 to cover increased food pantry expenses in Dent County; and
• People Helping People, $3,000 to support food pantry expenses, with half paid by the Republic Community Foundation.

With the latest grants, CFO has awarded $1.23 million through the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, according to the release.

CFO also on Friday awarded $250,000 in grants to rural communities through the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation, in partnership with Commerce Trust Co.

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