REACH Foundation Supports Regional COVID-19 Response Effort

The REACH Foundation has joined forces with the Mid-America Regional Council, county health leaders and area philanthropies to support a regional COVID-19 response effort aimed at expanding testing and strengthening prevention to reduce the spread of the virus across the metro area.

REACH has contributed $300,000 to the public-private partnership effort that has raised $2.5 million to date. Facilitated by MARC, the partnership aims to implement a plan for increasing COVID-19 testing capacity, coordinated data collection and analysis, and dissemination of public health messages. Along with $1.85 million in financial support from a group of five foundations, Johnson County Government and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County have contributed $400,000 and $250,000 in CARES Act funds, respectively.

“Kansas City area residents cross city, county and state lines every day to work, shop and take care of other needs – affirming the necessity of a regional response plan,” said REACH President and CEO Brenda Sharpe. “This effort recognizes that reality and builds on the collective strength of public health, community and government agencies to respond efficiently so that we can stabilize our region’s health and economy as quickly as possible.”

Earlier this year, REACH announced grants totaling $1,070,000 to a group of 16 Federally Qualified Health Centers, Community Mental Health Centers and a safety net dental clinic to support staffing and operational expenses related to COVID-19 response. Sharpe said these COVID-19 grants align with the foundation’s mission to address the health needs of uninsured and medically vulnerable populations in the REACH service area.

Read the press release.

For more information about the regional COVID-19 response efforts, visit PrepareMetroKC.org.

To find out about COVID-19 testing locations and testing events, visit ComeBackKC.com.