LEXINGTON, Ky. — When the pandemic first started, two organizations came together to create a coronavirus response fund to help raise money for nonprofits.

Lisa Adkins, CEO of the Blue Grass Community Foundation, has helped create a Coronavirus Response Fund in Fayette County that has raised $1,042,700 from donations.

“We try to inspire greater generosity in all the communities we serve. We want to make charitable giving, you know, simple and effective fun and rewarding. And that is what we do day in and day out," Adkins said.

The Coronavirus Response Fund was created through a partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation and The United Way of the Bluegrass. The response fund has been used to quickly provide funds and resources to community-based organizations. 

“So many of those organizations, you know, they've lost the ability to have their fundraising events. They've lost their revenue opportunities from their programs or other in person events and their training. And so to keep a vibrant community, we need to have a vibrant nonprofit community, and that's why giving so important," Adkins said.

One of the nonprofits that received a portion of the funds was FoodChain. Becca Self, executive director of FoodChain, says the nonprofit has been working hard during the pandemic to create and hand out meals to those in need with Nourish Lex.

“Obviously cases are exploding, darker days, particularly around things like emergency food resources. This is not the time where we want people to have to be lining up in the cold and dark, potentially to get meals, so I do think the need is going to continue for at least the foreseeable future," Self said.

The Coronavirus Response Fund will continue accepting donations and on its website, you can see which nonprofits are receiving the grants.