TraceLink Announces Second Round of Grant Recipients for COVID-19 Relief Funding

NORTH READING, Mass., Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TraceLink Inc., the leading digital platform company for the life sciences industry, today announced the second round of grant recipients from the company's $1 Million charitable COVID-19 fund. In its second round of funding, TraceLink awarded charitable grants to 11 organizations located around the world, including New York City, Los Angeles, London, and Nairobi, Kenya, for a total of 21 grants awarded to organizations seeking COVID-19 relief.

TraceLink's second round of grants recognized the following organizations for their tireless dedication to COVID-19 relief efforts: Railway Children, HopeWorks, HelpAge USA, National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC), Coalition for Humane Immigrants Rights, United Way of New York City, ReadWorks, Amref Health Africa in the USA, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Northern Virginia Family Service, and COVID Crisis Rescue Foundation (CCRF).

Since the call for grants closed on May 15, 2020, TraceLink has been evaluating hundreds of submissions and awarding grants in a series of funding rounds, prioritizing grant recipients based on their critical need for funding and support in the areas of food crises, virus treatment, equipment and technology relief, elder care and family assistance, and mental health. The first round of funding was announced on November 2, awarding grants to 10 recipient organizations to help aid their COVID 19 relief efforts.

"COVID Crisis Rescue Foundation (CCRF) was founded to address the emerging COVID-19 crisis in the UK. The scarcity of access to personal protective equipment (PPE) such as surgical gowns, masks, visors, and commonly used medical devices remains a priority, including in central London, and particularly in care homes, refuges, homeless shelters, and hospices. Our mission is to ensure that no healthcare provider, nor allied professional, is left unprotected against the virus. Dr. Sharon Raymond, director of CCRF, has explained as follows: "This crucial grant from TraceLink will be instrumental in helping us to continue to pursue our goal, allowing us to sustain and grow our critical London wide service to facilitate the remote monitoring of patients with symptoms of COVID-19, ultimately saving lives, as well as to maintain our support of those adversely impacted by the pandemic."

"The National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC) provides free evidence-based mental health programs and services for families and individuals affected by mental illness. Due to the isolation, loneliness, and challenging circumstances brought on by the pandemic, we have seen a huge increase in demand for our services," said Matt Kudish, Executive Director, NAMI-NYC. "This donation from TraceLink will support our small team of dedicated staff to ensure they are as strong and resilient as possible to best meet the needs of our communities."

"As an education technology nonprofit which has always provided its resources for free, ReadWorks is uniquely positioned to help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. We have been rapidly scaling up and creating new resources to support effective teaching and learning of reading. In this year alone, ReadWorks has been used by more than 17 million teachers and students," said Margo Doolittle, Development Specialist, ReadWorks. The COVID-19 crisis has created unprecedented teaching challenges for the education system, parents, and students. TraceLink's funding will help us expand our COVID-19 Response effort to provide free online resources for K-12 teachers and students designed to improve teacher instruction and student achievement in reading comprehension."

"HopeWorks has grown to become the largest provider of services for people experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque. Every year, approximately 11,000 individuals come to us for help. As of 2019, homelessness in New Mexico is up 27%, according to HUD.  Because of the restrictions and closures surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, the need for our critical support services has become greater than ever," said Mary Cianflone, Development Officer, HopeWorks. "Funding from TraceLink will support our emergency services, shelter occupancy, employee salaries, and direct client services, helping us provide support to 85 individuals experiencing homelessness. Together, we can help our unsheltered neighbors stabilize amid this pandemic and exit homelessness."

"Founded as an orphanage in 1908, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services provides affordable, high- quality programs in Mental Health, Special Education, Autism, Foster Care and Adoptions, Residential Treatment, and Early Intervention, serving 5,000 children and families each year, 80% of who have low income and 75% are of ethnic/racial minorities. The need for mental health services within our low-income communities has increased drastically as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Many people have lost their jobs and are experiencing economic stress, which then translates to stress within the family," said Lena Wilson, President & CEO of Vista Del Mar. "TraceLink's funding will allow us to provide free or low-fee virtual counseling sessions to individuals and families in Los Angeles County—providing those who cannot afford it with the mental health support they need during this difficult time."

"Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) helps more than 42,000 individuals and families across the Northern Virginia region achieve economic independence and stability. The effects of COVID-19 on families are widespread, and for those who were already vulnerable before the crisis, the impacts are felt even more dramatically,"  said Stephanie Berkowitz, President & CEO, Northern Virginia Family Service.  "TraceLink's grant will support NVFS' COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund, which was established to provide resources that address basic human needs, including financial assistance, case management, and virtual mental health services intended to alleviate stress and anxiety during this challenging time."

"At Railway Children, we believe no child should ever have to live on the streets. The global pandemic has massively impacted our work, putting thousands of children in India at risk of not receiving our services because of lost and deferred funding due to COVID-19," said Pauline Medovnikov, Trusts and Grants Manager, Railway Children. "This funding from TraceLink, will help us to deliver groceries and food parcels to these children and families in distress as a result of COVID-19."

"HelpAge USA raises awareness about the needs of older people in the world's poorest environments. The Thar desert rural communities in India continue to face unique challenges in the fight against COVID-19, as health and social needs outweigh access to quality care," said Cindy Cox-Roman, CEO, HelpAge USA. "The generous donation from TraceLink will support our expanded quality care initiatives that will reach thousands of at-risk elderly people and provide them with long-term sustainable benefits."

"Among those impacted by COVID-19 in New York City, low-wage workers will experience unprecedented financial hardship, with no clear options for recouping lost wages," said Stacey McCarthy, Vice President, United Way of New York City. "TraceLink's funding will directly support our COVID-19 Community Fund, a dedicated resource for our community-based organizations that work with low-income individuals to provide them with services such as emergency food assistance during this time of heightened need."

"In Los Angeles County, immigrants and people of color are among the most vulnerable community members affected by this public health and economic crisis," said Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). "We are grateful for TraceLink's donation, which will help us expand our community programs dedicated to education around healthcare access, resources for COVID-19 testing, treatment, and socioeconomic support."

"To help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Kenya, we must prioritize the protection of frontline health workers," said Jenny Peck, Senior Manager, Development, Amref Health Africa in the USA. "While Kenya is among the 'readiest' countries in Africa to take on COVID-19, it is not well positioned to handle the virus without adequate PPE and equipment like hospital beds. TraceLink's funding will allow us provide health workers with PPE including N-95 masks and face shields, and to purchase essential equipment like infrared thermometers and hospital beds." 

The call for COVID-19 grant submissions is now closed. TraceLink's ongoing corporate grant program awards up to three grants per calendar year, with a primary focus on healthcare-related causes and a secondary focus on environmental or community issues.

For more information on TraceLink's corporate social responsibility program or to apply for a grant, go to www.tracelink.com/corporate-social-responsibility, or contact the TraceLink Do More Committee at [email protected].

About TraceLink
TraceLink is the leading digital platform company for the life science supply chain, bringing hundreds of thousands of pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations together for the greater good of the patient. TraceLink's digital solutions bring the precision, agility and visibility necessary for all members of the pharmaceutical ecosystem to thrive in a world where unplanned events and business disruptions are the "next normal." With headquarters in Massachusetts, TraceLink has six global offices through North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. For more information on TraceLink, visit www.tracelink.com.

SOURCE TraceLink Inc.

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