In 
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Connecticut United Ways across the state partnered to launch the Connecticut United Ways COVID-19 Response Fund to provide cash assistance to help households struggling financially through the pandemic. Recipients of the Fund were screened for eligibility by referring community partners in order to receive $200 (one-time) cash assistance through an Akimbo Mastercard. To date, over 6,000 qualified households statewide experiencing loss of income or employment as a direct result of the pandemic have benefitted from over $1.2M in financial aid through the Fund.
In New London County through United Way of Southeastern Connecticut, 462 cards were distributed totaling $92,400.
Dollars raised by the Fund went directly to support ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households in need – individuals and families living paycheck to paycheck, with little or no savings for an emergency, and struggling to afford the high cost of living in Connecticut. Additional eligibility requirements for the Fund included the following: people experiencing loss of job/wages (e.g. individuals who were laid off; non-salaried employees who had their hours cut; people placed on temporary leave because of short-term business shutdowns); loss of childcare (e.g. people unable to work without childcare or not having the ability to work remotely); and/or individuals who were homebound due to having or caring for someone with Coronavirus.
Cash assistance cards for $200 were distributed to all Connecticut United Ways across the state based on the total number of available cards divided by the proportion of ALICE households in each region. United Ways identified qualified recipients by partnering with local nonprofits and municipalities providing direct outreach/services to ALICE families, as well as calls to 2-1-1 Connecticut, the Connecticut Restaurant Association, and regional offices with the Department of Labor.
