Innovia: $746K in grants

Second round of COVID funding supports causes across Inland Northwest

A hand sanitizer pump on the wall in the Lola and Duane Hagadone Boys and Girls Club in Coeur d'Alene is a popular stop for club kids as they keep up their stellar hygiene habits.

"I think it's really healthy," said Lida Depriest, 8, after using the pump to clean her hands. "It's just great to be healthy, you know?"

The club opened for summer on Monday after a long break, during which new sanitizer pumps and an outdoor washing station were installed to keep kids washing those hands as they reintegrate into a somewhat normal society following a global pandemic.

The Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls clubs were able to up the sanitation game thanks to $6,000 they received from the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Funds for North Idaho and Eastern Washington.

"We used a lot of it for personal protective equipment, which was really expensive," director of development Nicole Hammons said Tuesday. "We got all the hand sanitizing stations for both clubs, the wall-mounted ones and the stands, upgrades for the outside sinks, so that was nice."

The funds are also going to scholarships to assist club families experiencing financial hardships in the wake of massive layoffs.

"Now is a great time to have those kids back in the building and have them engaged," Hammons said. "Our goal is that money is never a barrier for kids to come here, so that was great for both sites."

This money is a small portion of the $746,012 distributed across the Inland Northwest through the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Funds, hosted by the Innovia Foundation in partnership with Equinox Foundation and Avista Foundation in North Idaho and Empire Health Foundation and Spokane County United Way in Eastern Washington.

The Innovia Foundation announced the 165 grants in a news release Tuesday afternoon. Several Kootenai County entities were among the recipients, including the nonprofit Orchard Ridge Senior Living, which was gifted $5,000 to provide general support for resident safety and services for its vulnerable seniors.

"I am so pleased that Orchard Ridge was a recipient," said executive director Ann Johnson. "The $5,000 that we are receiving from Innovia is going to expenses due to COVID, directly."

Johnson said Orchard Ridge experienced a loss of revenue during the lockdowns without the ability to welcome new residents.

"It put us in a bind," she said. "But thankfully we entered the pandemic full."

She said what Innovia and its partners accomplished in such a short amount of time to support local causes is remarkable.

"It speaks highly to what they are all about, and that is connecting donors with nonprofits," Johnson said. "When foundations like Innovia come through in a big way quickly and have as many funds to back the nonprofits, it's huge. It’s so amazing what they’ve done."

In May, the Innovia Foundation distributed $869,300 to 82 organizations in Eastern Washington and North Idaho through the Community Grant Program. Many of those grants were awarded as flexible funding to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in local communities and address immediate needs.

The second round of grants from the Response and Recovery Funds supports nonprofit and grassroots organizations, as well as tribal entities, schools and other government agencies on the front lines of the COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. Grants focused on child care and youth, food assistance needs, support for immigrant and refugee communities, mental health resources and small business support.

"The second round of COVID-19 grants continues to address the most urgent needs in our region and supports organizations doing the work on the ground,” said Innovia Foundation CEO Shelly O’Quinn. "As our region enters into the recovery phase, we are reminded of the strength of community and collaboration as we collectively make these grants thoughtfully and strategically with over 100 regional volunteers and trusted voices."

Other Kootenai County recipients include: The city of Harrison, Coeur d'Alene Tribe, Economic Development, Gizmo-CDA, Harrison Chamber of Commerce, Heritage Health, Quest Summer Day Camp and the Kroc Center.