Mother Cabrini Health Foundation has announced grants totaling $20 million to help address the ongoing needs of those in New York State most impacted by COVID-19.

Grants were awarded through the foundation's Coronavirus Emergency Support Grant program to community-based emergency response funds, healthcare providers, hospitals, nursing homes, Catholic Charities affiliates serving all faiths, and others. The funding will support initiatives that address the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable communities, including vaccine rollout, the purchase of personal protective equipment for healthcare and social service workers, and emergency food and financial assistance to individuals and families in need.

Recipients include Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, which will use the funds to bring vaccines to rural communities in the state via a mobile clinic; St. Peter's Hospital Foundation in Albany and the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS), for the purchase of N95 and surgical masks for frontline medical workers; and the Council of Peoples Organization (COPO), in support of a mobile food pantry that will serve Muslim, Arab, and South Asian immigrant communities in Brooklyn.

"For many vulnerable New Yorkers, the pandemic's impact will be experienced for years to come," said Mother Cabrini Health Foundation CEO Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo. "We honor Mother Cabrini's legacy by directly assisting those in need during these extraordinarily difficult times. We are concentrating our efforts on relief for frontline workers, financial support for underserved communities, and equitable vaccine distribution across the state."

(Photo credit: Gettyimages/Mongkolchon Akesin)