The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, announced that it will award a total of $13.5 million in grants to five non-profit organisations that are working on the front lines of the US and Canadian humanitarian response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The latest grants support organisations focused on providing relief to first responders and residents of economically disadvantaged communities, both in the company’s hometown of Atlanta and across North America. The company and the foundation will continue to evaluate additional opportunities for grants around the world as the crisis evolves.
“We are deeply concerned about the growing impact of coronavirus in Atlanta and beyond, especially in the most vulnerable parts of our communities,” said James Quincey, chairman and chief executive officer, The Coca-Cola Company.
“We are using the resources of our company and The Coca-Cola Foundation to make a difference by providing much-needed assistance to organizations that are positioned to mobilise quickly and provide essential humanitarian relief.”
Organisations receiving grants immediately are:
Feeding America: A grant of $5 million will support the organisation’s COVID-19 Response Fund to enable a network of over 200 food banks across the United States to feed the most vulnerable members of the community during the crisis.
Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America: A grant of $5 million will help the organisation with its plan to engage more than 4.7 million students in communities where schools are currently closed. Relief efforts will include providing meals and essential community services, as well as lending support to families of first responders, military, National Guard, Military Reserve and healthcare workers when needed. The organisation is also planning to operate for longer hours, particularly in parts of the United States that are hardest hit and most deeply impacted.
Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Canada: A grant of $7,50,000 will help provide food and essentials for families and club employees who are struggling; care for children of emergency health workers; mental health and counselling; and other emergency needs.
Food Banks Canada: A grant of $7,50,000 will help provide food to communities during the outbreak through a network of more than 650 food bank organisations and 4,500 distribution centres.
Centre for Disaster Philanthropy: A $2 million grant will support the centre’s COVID-19 Response Fund to help local agencies that provide childcare and other community services for people whose lives and jobs are most impacted by the crisis.
Previously, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta announced that The Coca-Cola Foundation provided a grant of $5 million for the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund. The fund was established by The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and United Way of Greater Atlanta. It will support work by Atlanta organisations to meet immediate needs in economically vulnerable communities that are disproportionately impacted by public crises.
In addition to supporting US- and Canada-based organisations, The Coca-Cola Foundation previously awarded a total of $2 million in grants to support efforts in China and Italy. The foundation continues to closely monitor future needs and potentially will provide further support.