MONROE, Conn. — Monroe has a food pantry to provide groceries to residents in need and Project Warmth to assist them with utilities, especially in the cold winter months, but some hardships don’t neatly fall under the umbrella of these programs.
A family that loses their house in a fire could need clothing and money for a place to stay, SNAP cannot be used for a hot meal, senior citizens may need a repair to make their home safe, and oftentimes one needs transportation to a doctor’s appointment or a job interview to improve their situation. The Rotary Club of Monroe created the Helping Hand Fund to fill in these gaps.
“Those are bona fide needs there’s not a program for,” Monroe Rotary President Ken Kellogg said.
Aside from supporting town programs like the food pantry and Project Warmth, Kellogg said the club tries to identify other unmet needs in town as a beneficiary of a donation from its primary fundraiser, the annual Service Above Self Golf Tournament.
“We have the ability to allocate funds through Monroe Social Services for things outside of its standard programs,” Kellogg said of needs that are oftentimes nonrecurring. “We want to give flexibility. Our only requirement is that it’s a bona fide need and we let them handle that. They vet it.”
The Monroe Rotary Club’s Helping Hand Fund is raising money until the end of the year and will match up to $5,000. The donations will go to Monroe Social Services to vet needs and divvy up the funds.
To donate to the Monroe Rotary Club’s Helping Hand Fund, click here.
Mary Ann Kalm, a licensed clinical social worker and the town’s social services coordinator, said her department will put the money to good use.
“It’s going to allow us to use our discretion to assist people,” she said. “It’s a backup to help us meet the needs of the people in the community and it’s much needed. We’re so grateful for this.”
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