Marietta Community Foundation continues to aid coronavirus relief efforts

The Marietta Community Foundation has given roughly $150,000 to its Washington County community in coronavirus relief in the last few months. Officials say in the last two weeks alone, the organization has given out over $25,000.

As a part of its recent efforts, the foundation has passed over $3,000 to the O’Neill Senior Center, allowing the center to continue a grocery box program. Each box is valued at around $25 and they are filled with items like bread, eggs and milk.

Marietta Community Foundation President Heather Allender says the grocery box program helps feed vulnerable seniors and allows them to stay inside a little more often during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Through the O’Neill Senior Center, this grocery box program, we’re helping to keep them inside, we’re helping to keep them safe, isolated, which is what they’re being recommended to do,” said Allender.

Assisting seniors isn't new to the foundation's plans to help out during the pandemic. They are one of three parts of a plan the foundation put together at the start of the pandemic.

However, foundation officials say they aren’t confined to funding any handful of projects; they can adapt to the needs of their community.

And foundation officials say they aren't the only ones trying to help out in these unprecedented times.

“I have said, and I will always say, Marietta/Washington County is a very generous community. So, there are several people in our area that are stepping up and giving back right now too. You’ve got everyone helping one another right now. A lot of resources being pulled into emergency needs. Our support is just being supplemented by so many others in the community,” said Allender.