Our community is fortunate to have so many agencies caring for those in need within our area.  Many of our nonprofits are facing unprecedented challenges and could use our help. One of the best things you can do is to continue assisting the agencies that you already support. Some are experiencing significant reductions from their typical income, due to issues such as closing thrift stores and cancelled fundraisers.  

The Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville has reactivated its Emergency Relief Fund. The fund was originally established in April 2011 following the tornado outbreak, to help with response. Now reactivated for the COVID-19 situation, as of April 8, the fund had raised $180,000 in three weeks time. Grant funding is reserved for 501(c)(3) organizations who are providing basic needs and/or health and wellness support related to the COVID-19 crisis. 

According to the Community Foundation, almost 30 local nonprofits have requests grant funding totaling over $700,000. After extensive evaluation and deliberation, the Grants Committee has recommended the following 501(c)(3) organizations for funding: Catholic Center of Concern, Lincoln Village, The CARE Center, The Salvation Army of Huntsville, HEALS, Inc., Huntsville Hospital Foundation, Thrive Alabama, Asbury Church, Downtown Rescue Mission, First Stop, Inc., Food Bank of North Alabama, The Legacy Center, Madison County 310 Board, and Manna House. More needs will develop.  You can support the fund here.

The United Way of Madison County has created a COVID-19 Assistance Fund to assist those in need within our community.  To donate, use this link. In addition to financial support, there are requests for needed items and volunteers.

Manna House, located at 2110 S. Memorial Pkwy in Huntsville, is organizing the Huntsville City Schools feeding program for students who are not getting breakfast and lunch at school.  They are collecting these items:

• Chips (recommend Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos)
• Fruit cups/Applesauce cups
• Fruit snacks/bar
• Pudding cups
• Breakfast bars (Nutrigrain bars)
• Fresh fruit: bananas, apples, oranges
• Peanut butter
• Jelly
• Sandwich bread 
• Sandwich material 
• Sandwich size baggies
• T-shirt bags
• Bottled water

They are open for donations on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9 am to 7 pm., or you can drop off supplies at the The Rock Church Monday through Thursday 9 am to 6 pm.

Manna House is using volunteers for its food distribution, both onsite as well as delivery to seniors and those with medical conditions.  Volunteers are needed Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays anytime between 2:00 – 7:00 p.m. Just show up ready to serve!

First Stop is in need of snack packs and supplies to distribute food to our homeless population. 

Their needs for the immediate future are:

• Snack packs, or the necessary items to put together snack packs
• 8oz foam cups
• 12oz plastic cups
• Coffee, creamer, sugar
• Cough drops

Snack Pack Instructions

All Snack Packs contain essential items: 

• Source of easy to open protein such as tuna, chicken, beanie weenies in the 2 to 4 oz size
• One of these in each pack
  • A Fruit Cup/Apple Sauce
  • Carbs: peanut butter or cheese cracker packs, granola bars, protein bars
  • Plastic Spoon and a Napkin

Donations can be dropped off at one of the following locations:

First Stop Day Center: 206 Stokes St., Monday to Friday from 8 am to 2 pm
Church of the Nativity: Contact Rosie Veal at [email protected]
Fractal Brewing Project: 3200 Leeman Ferry Rd., any day between 2 and 7 pm

First Stop currently has an plenty of:

• Serving gloves 
• Toiletries (out of storage room)
• Plasticware (out of storage room)
• Clothing items (out of storage room) 

Current needs are:

• Protein items for snack packs (This information can be found on their website and Facebook page.)
• Coffee, creamer, sugar and coffee straws
• Men’s and women’s socks
• Men’s and women’s underwear
• Hand Sanitizer

Our shelters such as the Downtown Rescue Mission, Salvation Army and New Futures are in need of cleaning supplies and paper goods. It is very hard for them to find the needed supplies, and they are working hard to serve the community while keeping everyone as safe as possible.  If you can spare some of the supplies listed below or happen to see any on the shelves, please consider donating them to these agencies.

• • toilet paper
  • paper towels 
  • cleaning wipes
  • hand wipes
  • bleach
  • Lysol
  • hand sanitizer
  • liquid soap
  • tissues
  • cleaning misters or sprays
  • masks, face shields
  • portable hand washing stations

The Huntsville Hospital Foundation could also use your help. They have received many questions from residents across North Alabama who are willing to make homemade masks for our hospitals. Thank you all for your willingness to help protect our health care workers during this crisis. The health system has approved the wearing of clean, homemade masks in hospital environments that do not require PPE, and the Foundation will serve as the hub for these gifts. Here are step-by-step instructions for making face masks.

Once complete, masks can be delivered to HH Occupational Health Group (OHG) locations in Huntsville, Madison & Decatur, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Huntsville: HH Med Mall, 1963 Memorial Parkway SW #24, 35801; (256) 265-7000
Madison: Meadow Green Center, 9238 Madison BLVD, Bldg 1, St 200, Madison, 35758 ; (256) 265-3285
Decatur: Decatur West Campus, 1615 Kathy Lane SW , Decatur, AL 35603; (256) 973-4325

HEART OF THE VALLEY YMCA is involved in a number of efforts, including providing weekly backpacks for children from low-income families, as well as food boxes for low-income families.  The YMCA is also caring for the children of essential workers at the Southeast Family YMCA in Huntsville and the Hogan Family YMCA in Madison. The YMCA has also called more than 1,000 seniors in the community to check in, as seniors are especially vulnerable while isolated at home. Staff members ask if they need help with errands, and have helped by picking up and delivering groceries. If you’d like to help the Y, visit ymcahuntsville.org or email [email protected].

HEALS, INC. provides medical, dental and optometry care to children living in poverty in Huntsville and Madison County in order to keep them healthy and in school. It is now more important than ever to provide for them during this time of crisis. HEALS is still operating its medical clinic at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary to serve children throughout the City of Huntsville and Madison Cross Roads for children in the county. Staff and physicians are ensuring their safety and the safety and well-being of patients. All routine dental visits had to be suspended, but the team is on call for emergencies.

Kids To Love is serving foster families in a number of ways, including with food boxes, in partnership with The Rose of Sharon Soup Kitchen.  If you would like to help with a financial donation, you can do so on Kids To Love’s website.

Partnership for a Drug-Free Community‘s mission is as important as ever during the COVID-19 crisis, as the staff continues to do everything they can to provide prevention, education and awareness on substance use in our community. The Recovery Resource Hub staff continues to work with people in the community who are looking for treatment services. The Hub is seeing a steady increase in calls for help. Here’s more information.

There are a number of other nonprofits in the Huntsville/Madison County community. Here is a longer list.

CCYR Outside Donation Drop-Off Zone 

While Christmas Charities Year Round remains “COVID-CLOSED”, they are opening an OUTSIDE DONATION DROP-OFF ZONE starting Wed 4/15/2020. This will only be open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM. Weather Permitting (NOT IN RAIN).

Details:

• NO MORE THAN 2 Donation Cars at a time.
• Donations must be bagged/boxed and placed in the disinfected shopping cart provided by a CCYR staff member.
• Once the Donation is placed, we ask the driver to carefully leave the parking lot, while the CCYR staff member retrieves the cart.
• Each cart will be disinfected between donations.
• Donors may request Donation Receipts by email.

DONATIONS ACCEPTED

• CLOTHING: All sizes, Shoes, Purses, Socks, Undergarments, Accessories.
• TEXTILE RECYCLE: Stained/Torn, clothing, sheets, towels.
• MED EQUIP: Wheelchairs, Leg Braces, etc.

NOT ACCEPTING: Furniture or Household Items at this time.

Do you need assistance?

If you know of anyone in need during this crisis, be sure to direct them to 211. This is an information line that directs people to resources.

If able, please consider contributing towards any of these great efforts.  All donations no matter the amount will be appreciated as we’re all in this together, six feet apart!