Nov. 24, 2011

How a donor advised grant responded in time of crisis. 

Over the course of a year, Unity Project welcomes some 600 plus homeless men and women for drop-in support, nightly stays, emergency shelter or transitional housing. Recently a bedbug issue at Unity Project closed down crash bed services for 4 days, displacing people on nightly stays and others from transitional housing.

The capital cost of replacing the mattresses was daunting as a separate issue earlier in the year had already consumed a significant portion of Unity Project’s maintenance budget.

A call to London Community Foundation on a Friday afternoon produced by Monday a cheque for $5,000 from a sister funder to cover the immediate issue of bed closure, replacement mattresses and professional pest extermination services. Furthermore, the Foundation connected Unity to a more readily available supplier of appropriate mattresses should they ever find themselves in need.

Finally, an additional grant of $23,000 from the MacDonald-Pierce Foundation Fund, a donor-advised fund within the Foundation, was given to address the larger needs of a more fulsome maintenance program.

Silvia Langer of Unity Project says that bed bugs are not only a costly issue, but an issue that causes further isolation to a population already facing many challenges. She had been dreaming about a participatory maintenance program and that the Community Foundation’s response has made this a reality.

 “The infestation developed despite our regular prevention practices within our capacity and resources at the time.  These funds will go far to employ maintenance staff trained in bed bug detection and elimination. The Foundation has the community’s needs on its radar and connected that need to a donor’s interest, understanding and compassion.”