As the COVID-19 pandemic increased demand on area food banks, Delta Dental and Arcora Foundation provided more than $350,000 to provide food and essential services for those most vulnerable
As communities struggled and the demand on food banks steadily grew – nearly doubling the number of people experiencing food insecurity – during the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta Dental and Arcora Foundation donated more than $350,000 to provide food and essential services to families, seniors, and other vulnerable populations.
Arcora Foundation donated $100,000 which was split between Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest, as well as $25,000 to Philanthropy Northwest’s Washington Food Fund. The donations will helped these organizations provide food to nearly 700 community food banks statewide.
In addition, Seattle Foundation received $110,000 from Delta Dental in emergency assistance for its COVID-19 Response Fund to address immediate needs in the Greater Seattle area – which was hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. Spokane-based Innovia Foundation also received $55,000 for its Eastern Washington Community Response and Recovery Fund which is serving the elderly, homeless and others who were highly vulnerable during the crisis.
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Also, receiving support were nine local nonprofits – each receiving $6,250 Arcora Foundation grants – providing food, meal delivery programs and other essential services in rural communities. The organizations include:
- Coastal Community Action Program (serves Grays Harbor & Pacific Counties)
- Confederated Tribes of The Colville Reservation (serves 12 tribes throughout Northeastern Washington)
- Island Senior Resources (serves Whidbey & Camano Island seniors)
- Okanogan Transportation & Nutrition (serves Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas & Lincoln Counties)
- Olympic Community Action Programs (serves Clallam & Jefferson Counties)
- Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (serves tribal members of Port Gamble Bay on the Kitsap Peninsula)
- Walla Walla Senior Center’s Senior Round Table (serves Walla Walla, Asotin, Columbia & Garfield County seniors)
- Yakima Valley Community Foundation (serves the Yakima Valley area)
- Rural Resources Community Action Council (serves Northeastern Washington) – In addition to the Arcora Foundation grant, Rural Resources Community Action Council is receiving an additional $10,000 from Delta Dental for a total donation of $16,250.
In addition to its community giving grants, Arcora Foundation also assisted by expanding its DentistLink dental referral service, to help the growing demand of people in need of urgent dental care during the COVID-19-related closure of dental clinics for all non-emergency procedures. The free dental referral service is available for anyone experiencing dental pain who is not able to connect with their dentist and not sure where to turn for help. Those in need can visit DentistLink.org to search for a dental provider in their community who is open for urgent care or contact a referral specialist by phone or text at 844-888-5465.
