In a new round of grant allocations, the DuPage County Board awarded more than $1 million to nonprofit organizations that provide food, housing, mental health and substance abuse aid to DuPage residents, during a County Board meeting Tuesday.
The “immediate intervention” grants are part of the county’s DuPage Community Transformation Partnership (DCTP) with the DuPage Foundation. The public charity works with donors to deliver funding to not-for-profits addressing critical issues.
“Through this program we as partners, the DuPage County Board and our grant committee, have the opportunity to change lives and address the most pressing needs in our county,” Human Services Committee Chair Greg Schwarze said during Tuesday’s board meeting.
The DCTP was a $10 million fund formed in 2022, of which $6.8 million has been allocated to date; the DuPage Foundation was paid $600,000 to administer the program on behalf of the county.
“Today the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors continue to grow, with more than one in four households struggling to meet basic needs as mental health and substance abuse challenges persist without boundaries,” DuPage Foundation President Michael Sitrick said Tuesday.
Last summer, the DCTP granted $1.3 million to 18 nonprofit organizations involved in addressing the same issues, and in March, the county allocated $2.1 million towards direct relief and infrastructure assistance for food pantries, which have been struggling to meet the needs of growing food insecurity.
“Despite being a county of tremendous resources, the needs in DuPage remain significant and urgent,” Sitrick said.
Of the $1 million awarded, $197,000 are grants for dealing with food insecurity, $473,144 for housing instability grants, and $362,633 for mental health and substance use disorder grants.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging from it, our neighbors across DuPage have needed immediate responsive help and ongoing support as they seek to strengthen their lives,” Jeni Fabian, CEO of People’s Resource Center, a nonprofit based in Wheaton that received $85,000, said Tuesday.
