Massachusetts Service Alliance Awards Emmaus Grant to Boost Volunteerism During COVID-19

The interior of a temporary shelter erected for Emmaus of Haverhill. (Courtesy photograph.)

Haverhill’s Emmaus is one of 26 nonprofits across the state to be awarded a COVID-19 Resiliency grant to help recruit volunteers.

In the first round of grants announced this week, Emmaus received $4,000 from the Massachusetts Service Alliance.

“The Massachusetts Service Alliance is pleased to be able to support nonprofits across the Commonwealth as they engage with volunteers in new ways to help meet critical needs in their communities during this crisis,” said CEO Emily Haber. “We know that Massachusetts residents want to lend a hand during these hard times and we hope these grants will provide more opportunities for volunteer engagement.”

The Alliance, established in 1991, said COVID-19 has created monumental challenges for many of the nonprofits and public agencies across Massachusetts to meet the needs of their communities. The pandemic and the resulting economic shutdown have had significant effects on the services, operations and people working and serving in the nonprofit sector. In particular, organizations that manage volunteers are having to think about how to position, adapt and optimize their volunteer program to be the most effective in times of uncertainty.

Through the organization’s COVID-19 Resiliency Grant initiative, an estimated 3,214 volunteers will be recruited to support various critical needs including senior services, education, housing, and food insecurity. A second round of grants will become available at the beginning of the year.

Emmaus is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1985 to provide housing and services to homeless adults and families in Haverhill.

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