Today, the Sacramento Kings announced the first group of organization recipients of the $250,000 committed to help provide essential services and supplies to those in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Funding will go to regional nonprofit organizations that are serving diverse and vulnerable populations and working to address three priority areas of need including shelter and housing services for families and youth, food security, and educational and career development services.
“Our hearts go out to the hardest hit among us during this unprecedented crisis. COVID-19 is placing an enormous demand on organizations serving our community, youth, and families and we are committed to helping them,” said Sacramento Kings President of Business Operations John Rinehart. “Now, more than ever, the Kings are proud to provide support to critical nonprofits doing essential work across the region, including housing, food security, and education and career development services.”
Following its announcement of their $250,000 commitment to community organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kings connected with local nonprofits and coalitions to hear the community’s needs and identify organizations doing essential work across the region.
Through this process, the Kings identified twelve recipients that will each receive a portion of the $200,000 donation focused in the categories listed below. The remaining $50,000 in funding will be distributed and announced at a later date to support ongoing recovery efforts as this crisis will continue to impact the region for months to come.
Housing Services for Families and Youth
Funding will be given to organizations that provide shelter and housing services for families and youth, including the Sacramento LGBTQ Community Center, WEAVE and the Yolo Crisis Nursery. These organizations are providing housing and wraparound services for at-risk populations.
Food Security
Additionally, funding will be donated to organizations that address food security, including Family Meal, La Familia Counseling Center, My Sister’s House, Salvation Army and Wellspring Women’s Center. These funds will be used to support their efforts to continue to provide food services for families, youth and seniors.
Educational and Career Development Services
Funding will also be given to educational, career development and service-focused organizations, including Food Literacy Center, JUMA and Square Root Academy to continue their efforts of encouraging the advancement of the next generation of leaders and connecting with students during distance learning. These organizations are shifting from on-the-job and hands-on learning to virtual learning techniques and strategies.
Lastly, funding will be directed to Donate4Sacramento, a COVID-19 regional response fund partnering with community organizations, to support qualified low-income households whose lives have been disrupted by the outbreak with much needed financial resources.
This donation is part of the team’s larger “In This Together” initiative to help support the community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the initiative, Kings players Harrison Barnes, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Yogi Ferrell, De’Aaron Fox, Richaun Holmes and Cory Joseph have donated thousands of meals to vulnerable families and children regionally. In April, the Kings announced a donation of 100,000 masks to local frontline workers and in March, the Kings joined forces with Legends Hospitality to donate nearly 5,000 pounds of prepared and perishable food to the Sacramento Food Bank and the Sacramento County Office of Education to help feed individuals in need and families impacted by school closures.
To learn more about “In This Together” and the team’s efforts to give back, visit Kings.com/Together.