(Photo by Shawn Magrath)

NORWICH – When the pandemic started, the United Way of Chenango County set out to meet people’s needs during what organization leaders believed could be a weeks-long hardship for the community.

Four months later, it’s obvious that the once thought idea of a weeks-long hardship is actually an unprecedented months-long – perhaps years-long – hardship. Yet that hasn’t discouraged the United Way and its benefactors from extending a helping hand to those affected by coronavirus.

Today, the United Way has been boggled by donations received for its COVID-19 Response Fund, a special slush fund set up by the agency in order to help families overburdened by the pandemic.

“When the pandemic started, we had people calling and asked if we would take donations,” explained Chenango United Way Director Elizabeth Monaco. “Honestly, it was so early on that we hadn't even thought about it. But this is what United Ways do: they take donations to help. And so we said 'sure.'”

With that, the COVID-19 Response Fund was created and immediately began receiving donations from community members and area foundations. Almost caught off guard by overwhelming support, the United Way started partnering with other charitable organizations in the county to strategize ways in which it could financially assist those in need. And to help organize it all, the United Way resurrected the Chenango Area Recovery Team, an emergency response team which initially formed to help during the 2006 and 2011 floods.