Friends In Deed (FID) has been blessed with a lot of generous support over the years, not the least of which has been from grant-making foundations, organizations and individuals. We’d like to highlight three of our new-to-FID grants:
The Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation
As you know, the Towsley Foundation became a new grantor to Friends In Deed when it awarded $15,000 in support of operating expenses in 2015.
What you may not know is that the foundation decided to continue the award through 2018. Each year, 2016 through 2018, $15,000 in grant monies from The Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation will be used to keep the staff paid, the lights on, the fax machine beeping and the Friends In Deed doors open to serve neighbors in our community.
The United Way of Washtenaw County — Basic Needs Fund
Friends In Deed has always appreciated the overall impact of energy costs and utility shut off on a family struggling with basic needs. Let’s face it, water, gas and electricity allow a family to maintain a safe and healthy living environment. Not only does shutoff affect a family’s ability to store and cook food, bathe, study and rest, it deepens the hole of debt as late fees and reconnect fees pile up.
That’s why The Basic Needs Fund awarded Friends In Deed $2,000 to directly assist low-income residents of Washtenaw County with their emergency needs.
The United Way of Washtenaw County — Women’s Leadership Initiative
While Friends In Deed has provided utility assistance to residents of Washtenaw County for over three decades, we have been overwhelmed with requests for assistance since Michigan’s Department of Human Services changed its policy in 2013. DHS now provides utility assistance only during the crisis season, as defined as November 1st to May 31st each year.
In response to the increased need, The United Way of Washtenaw County — Women’s Leadership Initiative awarded $5,000 in support of utility assistance for single-parent households during non-crisis months.