The Bechtel Group Foundation announced today it will donate $100,000 to the United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties for its COVID-19 Response Fund to help local nonprofits address food insecurity and mental and behavioral health impacts of the pandemic.
The donation comes as part of the Foundation’s new $3 million COVID-19 Relief Fund set up to support urgent human needs in communities across the world where Bechtel employees live and work.
“Bechtel has been a member of the Tri-Cities community for more than 40 years,” said Valerie McCain, Bechtel principal vice president. “This is an amazing and resilient community. I’m honored that we can help our friends and neighbors in these most challenging of times.”
“We stand with other companies in our community in helping mitigate the impacts of this pandemic on our neighbors,” she said. “By supporting the United Way’s fund, we are supporting many nonprofits working at the frontlines helping those in greatest need.”
LoAnn Ayers, president and CEO of the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties, said the funds will provide much-needed support to nonprofits across the Tri-Cities.
“This generous gift provides an incredible infusion to help individuals and families struggling with hunger, depression, family violence and abuse,” Ayers said. “We will use it to do what we are best at — bolster the capacity of local nonprofits to fill critical gaps in services. It will help local nonprofits, which have been draining their savings, continue to meet extraordinary demand.”
As home to one of Bechtel’s larger projects, the Tri-Cities community is one of four receiving a gift of this size from among 10 locations the Foundation is supporting across the United States. Bechtel holds the contract to design, build and commission the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Hanford Site for the Department of Energy.
The local United Way established a dedicated COVID-19 Community Response Fund in March to rapidly deploy resources to local nonprofits providing food, childcare and mental and behavioral health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local nonprofits can see the criteria and apply at www.uwbfco.org/covid-19-rapid-response-funding.
