Sussex County Relief Program supports immigrant families affected by COVID-19

Sussex County Relief Program supports immigrant families affected by COVID-19

Nationally and locally, COVID-19 has taken a health and financial toll on immigrants, leaving them struggling to meet basic needs. The Sussex County Relief Program, a collaboration between Georgetown-based La Esperanza and First State Community Action Agency, was formed in April 2020 to support immigrant families in crisis. The relief program helps families with basic needs, focusing on paying for food, rent, utilities and the internet. Since June, funds have supported about 1,500 members of more than 400 families in southern Delaware.

To help immigrant Latino families in the greatest need, the Arsht-Cannon Fund at the Delaware Community Foundation donated $100,000 in June, followed by $150,000 in December. The Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund provided an initial investment of $50,000 and the Matt Haley Trust provided $50,000 in December, bringing the total to $350,000.

“During these tough times when so much in life is at stake, we want families to have the security of a warm home, clean water, healthy food and internet access to connect with school, friends, health-care providers and community resources. While the mission of the Arsht-Cannon Fund is focused on supporting educational opportunities for Delaware’s Latino families, we know the urgency of meeting basic human needs before learning is possible,” said Executive Director Dr. Christine Cannon.

Latino and other immigrant families have suffered from a higher COVID infection rate because of their exposure as essential workers, multigenerational living arrangements, higher number of risk factors, and multiple barriers to health information and care.

“We realized that the economic stimulus and COVID relief resources that were accessible to citizens would not be available to many immigrant families in desperate need. The financial impact of losing jobs without unemployment benefits, no paid sick time, and exclusion from government stimulus payments and health insurance are devastating families,” said La Esperanza Executive Director, Jennifer Fuqua.

Bernice Edwards, Executive Director of First State Community Action Agency, said: “Philanthropy allows us to respond to individual families’ needs. We have also implemented an intake process that assesses the self-sufficiency of individuals and families and connects them to a referral network based on their needs.”

The Sussex County Relief Program screens applicants for eligibility and helps families find the services and programs they need through the Navigation and Family Coaching Program that La Colectiva de Delaware developed with La Esperanza’s staff in 2018, and intake services at First State Community Action Agency.

FSCAA Community Development Director, Jaime Sayler, who has been closely involved in implementing the program, shared the gratitude of many families helped and one of the most important results: a growing trust of the immigrant community with nonprofits that provide needed services.

Fuqua said, “We’re proud that 100 percent of funds have gone directly to families.”

Photo caption: From left, La Esperanza executive director Jennifer Fuqua, Arsht-Cannon Fund executive director Christine Cannon, First State Community Action Agency executive director Bernice Edwards and director Jaime Sayler pose in front of Delaware Community Foundation at The Circle in Georgetown, Delaware December 17, 2020. The Arsht-Cannon Fund at the Delaware Community Foundation is pleased to announce a gift of $150,000 to the Sussex County Relief Program (SCRP) to help southern Delaware’s Latino immigrant families in the greatest need during this holiday season. This gift raises ACF’s total investment in the SCRP to $250,000 since July.