Fallon Health Awards $100,000 in Grants to Assist COVID-19 Recovery Efforts

WORCESTER — Fallon Health, a mission-focused, community-based, not-for-profit healthcare-services organization, announced $100,000 worth of grants have been awarded to 10 community-based organizations across its service area, with a focus on Berkshire, Middlesex, and Worcester Counties.

The grants will be used to help fund innovative, community-based programs that support areas or populations that are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or that provide services to seniors that overcome or mitigate social isolation. Locally, Roots Rising in Pittsfield was awarded a grant for its virtual farmers market.

“This year, we received applications from a very competitive pool of 80 organizations, highlighting how the current healthcare crisis has exacerbated existing social and economic inequities while presenting new challenges,” said Richard Burke, president and CEO of Fallon Health. “Through these grants — in addition to the hunger-relief donations, rapid-response grants, and contributions to the Worcester Together Fund already made this year — it is our hope that we are able to help ease some of the financial constraints our community partners are facing when dealing with issues of hunger and loneliness head on.”

With the distribution of its annual Community Benefits grants, Fallon’s COVID-19 relief funding for 2020 rises to a half-million dollars.