A local fundraiser brings community members together to help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. A GoFundMe campaign created by Elaine Meder-Wilgus and Eric McGinnis in late March, in conjunction with Centre Helps, aims to offer Centre County residents direct financial support for bills and rent.
“Eric McGinnis and I put our heads together in March when we came to a similar realization: that the hardships our local neighbors would face, especially those in the service industry, might come hard and fast,” Meder-Wilgus said. “We began reaching out to local nonprofits, researching what the best way would be to help as many people as possible.”
The two were eventually connected with Centre Helps and executive director Leanne Lenz.
“Through a flurry of mid-March discussions with Michael Pipe, county commissioner; Evan Myers on the State College Borough Council; and Megan Evans and Wendy Vinhage at Centre County United Way, it became clear that one of the gaps in the community was sources of funding to provide direct support funds to the large number of people out of work,” McGinnis explained. “With Centre Helps being the primary clearinghouse for triaging people’s needs in the community, they were the logical choice to help disseminate funds directly to those in need.”
Centre Helps, says Lenz, already supports individuals and families through unexpected financial crises, with a proven system to help clients properly approach their financial needs, budgets and local resources. Centre Helps acts as an advocate to connect clients to those resources and serve their immediate financial needs through the support of partnering charities.
“When the COVID-19 crisis began, we immediately became concerned for our community members in the service industry who would face significant economic hardships,” Lenz said. “We expected, and still do expect, a significant increase in need that would exceed what is available through our partnering charities. Elaine and Eric presented a solution. By creating and promoting a fund that we can draw up for clients who’ve lost work in the service industry, our program has a farther reach and a larger impact…”
The current GoFundMe campaign goal is $20,000, with $6,820 raised thus far. All funds raised have been used to help with rent for those facing potential homelessness due to COVID-19 precautions, including those who have lost work in the hospitality, service, food and rideshare industries. Lenz points out that, additionally, about half of the households benefiting from the program so far have been single-parent households.
Local social organization Project 1:37 plans to host an online virtual event to benefit the GoFundMe campaign further. Founded by Scott McKenzie, Project 1:37 hosts fundraising events throughout the year to “bring performers and artists together for good causes.” When the organization’s spring, in-person “shindig” was canceled due to COVID-19 precautions, McKenzie moved the event online.
‘I canceled this spring’s event, but I knew I needed to do something to fill the void,” McKenzie says. ‘I considered the theme of the shindigs, bringing entertainers together to channel their art for a cause, and realized that we can still do that from our own homes and stream it to an audience via something like Facebook Live. Many performers have found ways through video chat or remote recording to get together to make new art to bring to each other and the community, and we’re simply giving them a place to share it.
“While considering what cause to support, I was reminded of the fund that Elaine set up through Centre Helps, to assist service industry staff who have been forced out of work, and often don’t have access to a support structure to help pay their bills while everything is shut down. Given that these folks are the ones who’ve come together to make our shindig events such a success in supporting other local causes, it seemed only right that in their time of need, we do our best to bring some of that good will and help right back to them.”
The virtual shindig is slated for this Saturday, 6 p.m.–midnight, and interested attendees can register to attend on the event’s Facebook page. McKenzie said to expect a wide variety of performance art across many styles and genres, and videos introduced by familiar faces from local businesses and organizations.
“We’re just doing what we can to help people connect with each other in a time when we’re all more or less secluded, and remind people that even though we may be apart, we are not alone,” he said.
“The more folks who tune in, the farther the art reaches, and hopefully the more donations come in to help out the program through Centre Helps. And if anyone is willing and able, the donation page is already active, and folks can make a contribution today.”
