(Arnolds Park)– The Okoboji Foundation today (Thurs.) announced the recipients of its first round of Disaster Recovery Fund Grants. Interim President Holly Skopec says one of those, in the amount of $8,822, will be going to the Lakes Regional Healthcare Foundation to purchase six powered air purifying respirators…
“These devices are a type of a helmet device that the medical staff will wear in assisting patients that have COVID or are suspected of having COVID. The nice thing with these is that they’re reusable and they can be re-sanitized, and they’re good for up to 10 years. So in the future if there are other infectious diseases or other disasters these are items that they’ll have readily available. The second grant that we gave is for the Voluntary Action Center. We’re giving them $4,000 to subsidize the cost of meals for their Meals on Wheels Program. They have had a recent influx of more people that cannot get out and about that need assistance with meals. And the third and final grant we gave out this round is to the Bedell Family YMCA. They’re reopening the Community Table and they’re going to be serving two grab and go meals a week out of the Character Center entrance for the next four weeks. It’s a great program that they set up that anyone who needs a meal can just drive up and they will bring a meal out to them.”
Skopec says the Okoboji Foundation is continuing to accept financial contributions for the local Disaster Recovery Fund program…
“People can go to www.okobojifoundation.org and they can give online; they could mail a check to our office at P.O. Box 593 Okoboji, Iowa…51355. We have donations that are still coming in as we speak. We received a $2,000 donation from a donor yesterday, so we will keep going. Any funds that don’t get used by the end of this disaster will be set aside for whenever there may be a future disaster but I think we’re in this for the long haul. I don’t think there’s any time that this will end in the near future yet.”
Skopec says they’re thrilled with the response they’ve been getting, adding they’re also very grateful to those who have donated so far.
