NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Human Services said that hundreds of nonprofits across the state received grants to help them with their missions to support communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.
They said that they awarded 656 non-profit organizations with $150 million in grants from coronavirus relief funds. The money will be used to support people who faced hardships due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizations helping with families' educational needs, workforce training, providing mental health resources and other kinds of services meant to help people across the state will receive funds.
The money will also be used to help people find food relief, to help people find affordable housing and to generally help people who may have experienced economic hardship due to COVID-19.
“These grants will help non-profits expand the work they’re already doing supporting families, vulnerable citizens, and business to ensure Tennessee can thrive once the pandemic is over," TDHS Commissioner Danielle W. Barnes said in a press release.
Some of the organizations that received grants include Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee, the Bijou Theatre, the Emerald Youth Foundation, Cherokee Health Systems and the YMCA of East Tennessee.
Six organizations were tasked with distributing funds: United Way of Greater Chattanooga, United Way of Greater Knoxville, United Way of Greater Nashville, United Way of the Mid-South, Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.
They will also monitor how grant funding is spent, to make sure it meets the program's requirements. They will be required to follow the U.S. Department of Treasury's guidelines on Cornavirus Relief Fund expenditures.