Our Response to COVID-19

June 22, 2020

We are pleased to announce that the Foundation is partnering with the City of Troy to assist with the payment of water bills for Troy residents through a program designed by the City. This grant to the City of Troy from the Foundation’s Troy Emergency Response Fund has been made possible through the generosity of the many individuals, businesses and foundations who have donated over $139,000 to our fund. These contributions, along with the Foundation’s initial $100,000 have assisted us to continue to meet the needs of our non-profit organizations and residents who have been affected by the pandemic. This grant will help to offset the requests to our non-profit partners for rent assistance and other utility expenses. Please view the press release relaying the details of the program below:

For immediate release:

The City of Troy suspended all water shutoffs once the Shelter in Place order was issued on March 19, 2020. However, during the time since that order was issued, billing was not suspended for water, sewer, refuse and/or storm water charges. The City has encouraged partial payments be made during this time of uncertainty.

Thanks to a generous donation by The Troy Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund, the City of Troy is offering grants to pay up to 80 percent of delinquent City of Troy utility bills that were due between March 28th and June 28th. Eligible accounts include residential property owners and renters, and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. To be eligible to receive a grant, you must call our office as soon as possible and make an appointment with Billing and Collection staff. When you come in for your appointment, your remaining 20 percent balance will be due by lump sum or, if there is a special circumstance, by establishing a short-term payment plan.

Again, to be eligible for this program, you must contact the Billing and Collection Office as soon as possible to set up an appointment and a plan to pay the remaining 20 percent of your bill. Please contact Billing and Collection at 937-335-4151 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

May 27, 2020

For immediate release:

The Troy Emergency Fund, established in March, was created to award grants on a rolling basis to nonprofits that support vulnerable populations that have been stressed by the outbreak.  Troy Foundation announced its grants from the Troy Emergency Response Fund to support non-profits in Troy and the surrounding area.  In total, $98,772.90 has been awarded as follows:

Health Partners Free Clinic	$1,500.00	Virus To-Go Bags for Patrons
Dream Builders Group Inc.	$1,000.00	Emergency Funding for Food for Troy Families
Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County, Inc.	$10,000.00	General Support, Offsite Housing
Pink Ribbon Girls, Inc.	$5,760.00	4 weeks of Additional Troy meals
Miami County Dental Clinic	$15,000.00	Operational Expenses
Isaiah’s Place, Inc.	$8,500.00	Tablets, Safety Equipment and Air scrubbers
Troy REC	$14,970.58	Preschool/tutor Program
RT Industries	$1,500.00	Cleaning and Sanitation Supplies
Smithfly Designs LLC	$2,000.00	Purchase of 250 N95 Masks
Safehaven, Inc.	$1,000.00	Food Packaging Supplies
First Place Food Pantry, Inc.	$4,000.00	Emergency Request
American Red Cross/Northern Miami Valley	$5,000.00	Training and Disaster Services
YWCA Piqua	$3,000.00	Meal Partnership Supplies for Family Abuse Shelter
Miami Valley Veterans Museum	$1,651.32	Supplies for the COVID-19 Mask Project
Elks BPOE #833	$2,000.00	Food Delivery Serving Elderly and Veteran Members
Richard’s Chapel United Methodist	$750.00	Assistance with Lunch Program Expenses
New Path, Inc.	$2,000.00	Materials for Drive Up Pantry During COVID-19
Miami County Recovery Council Inc.	$1,541.00	Chromebooks, Zoom and Clocktree Telehealth
Troy-Miami County Public Library	$4,000.00	Cloud Library Checkout Hardware Subscription
Reading for Change	$800.00	Assistance With Food and Activity Packets
Troy Main Street, Inc.	$2,500.00	Assistance in Reopening Troy’s Downtown
UVMC Foundation	$8,500.00	IDNOW Molecular Platform Rapid Testing Device
RT Industries	$1,800.00	Purchase of Supplies Needed for RT Restart

Funds for the Troy Emergency Fund have been provided by The Troy Foundation in partnership with the Paul G. Duke Foundation, City of Troy, Troy Noon Optimist Club, Troy Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club of Troy, and many Troy residents.  Nearly $140,000 has been donated by the community to add to the $100,000 set aside by The Troy Foundation to establish the fund.  Grants to assist area non-profits range from $750.00 to $15,000.  These grants have provided access to food, shelter, academic support, and well checks for area residents and operating support, technology to connect with clients remotely, and cleaning, sanitation and safety equipment to our local non-profit organizations while they continued their services.

For further information or to apply for assistance, area non-profits may apply by emailing Melissa Kleptz, Executive Director at mkleptz@thetroyfoundation.org.

March 26, 2020

For immediate release:

The Troy Foundation announced on March 16th the establishment of the Troy Emergency Response Fund (TERF), setting aside $100,000 initially to quickly distribute resources to organizations in Troy that are working with residents affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The Fund will award grants on a rolling basis to nonprofits that support vulnerable populations that have been stressed by the outbreak. The Troy Foundation encourages institutions, companies, individuals, and other funders to join us by contributing to the Fund.

The Foundation was notified yesterday that the City of Troy will be contributing to the emergency fund. “In the midst of this national health crisis, the City of Troy is pledging $30,000 to the Troy Emergency Response Fund to help in assisting our community non-profits as they seek to continue/expand their services to residents,” said Robin Oda, Mayor of Troy. “The Troy Foundation has been an amazing tool for distributing monies that aid our community, and we are pleased to be able to participate with them in this effort.”

“The Foundation would like to thank the City of Troy for their quick response to support the Troy Emergency Response Fund. The Foundation has long-term relationships with the nonprofits in our community and is equipped to quickly address their needs through the TERF. It is our hope that other organizations, businesses and individuals contribute to the Fund to increase the amount of funds available to the organizations providing services to our most vulnerable residents,” said Melissa Kleptz, Executive Director of The Troy Foundation.

“The outbreak will continue to have a significant impact on members of our community who have the least ability to prepare for it,” said Kleptz. “This fund is designed to provide support to those organizations that are on the front lines of caring for and assisting vulnerable populations, and those individuals where the loss of jobs and benefits, or the closure of institutions and businesses, are creating a significant new burden on these residents and the organizations that provide a safety net for them.”

In addition to providing the opportunity to contribute to the TERF, The Troy Foundation is also urging donors to look for opportunities to support the critical needs of nonprofits by making donations to organizations they wish to help. At this time, general operating support can provide the greatest amount of flexibility for nonprofits, which is important at a time when the needs are changing quickly. Many nonprofits are not only dealing with an expected increase in services from the coronavirus, they are dealing with disruptions in their own operations and in many cases have cancelled fundraisers and other activities that normally support their operations.

Those wishing to contribute to the Troy Emergency Response Fund can do so in the following ways:
• Online: Visit the Donate Page to make a donation by credit card
• Mail: Send a check payable to The Troy Foundation –Troy Emergency Response Fund to:
The Troy Foundation, 216 W. Franklin Street, Troy, OH 45373

Posted on March 16, 2020

A message from Melissa Kleptz, Executive Director, regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) preparation and support

To our community,

The Troy Foundation has established the Troy Emergency Response Fund to provide financial assistance to nonprofits experiencing increased services due to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19).

We have reached out to local nonprofits to determine how we can support them, and have found that many of them have an increased need for financial support as they not only serve their current clients, but continue to find ways to help prevent the spread of the virus through additional services.

The Troy Foundation will be providing emergency funding to organizations that are providing emergency food, working in community health, or providing additional services needed to alleviate hardships suffered by Troy residents. If your organization is providing these types of services for the residents of Troy, please reach out to me at mkleptz@thetroyfoundation.org to inform us of your needs.

If you would like to join the Foundation in assisting our local nonprofit organizations as they expand their services in response to the virus, you can click here to donate to the Troy Emergency Response Fund.

Sincerely,

Melissa Kleptz