WILLISTON – The Northwest North Dakota Community Foundation has awarded $14,000 from the newly established NWNDCF Relief Fund to organizations responding to immediate needs in Williams, Divide, McKenzie, and Mountrail counties as a result of COVID-19 and energy industry pressures.

“We established the NWNDCF Relief Fund on Monday, with funds donated by local individuals, companies, and charitable organizations,” said Ward Koeser, president of the NWNDCF Board of Directors. “We felt very strongly that we needed to get funds out to organizations and community groups supporting our friends and neighbors in need right now.”

The following individual grants were made:

– $7,500 to Watford City/McKenzie County COVID 19 Response Team to support the distribution of 14-day supply packages of food and basic supplies for those who are quarantined and/or shut in. The program serves all of McKenzie County, through a coordinated effort.

– $4,000 to Williston’s Community Connections for expansion of the organization’s Meals to Go program that includes sack lunches and boxes of shelf stable food to those in need.

– $1,500 to Stanley Area Cares for Kids to significantly increase the organization’s food program that provides food for families during the weekend when other food programs are unavailable.

– $1,000 to Stanley’s Mountrail Bethel Home to provide immediate support for a licensed daycare to care for children of hospital and nursing home employees.

“As donations come into the Relief Fund, we will continue to invest more funds in our region’s immediate response efforts,” Koeser said.

Individuals seeking to support the NWNDCF Relief Fund can donate online at www.NWNDCommunityFoundation.org or by sending a check to: NWNDCF, PO Box 371, Williston, ND 58802-0371. Gifts are tax deductible.