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How one nonprofit is helping businesses get their feet back on the ground

Posted at 6:29 PM, Jun 25, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-25 19:22:31-04

(WXYZ) — It's going to take some time for businesses and organizations to get their feet back on the ground after the pandemic, but one nonprofit is trying to help.

In tonight's 7 UpFront segment, we're being joined by the President and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation Melanca Clark to talk about it.

You can see the full interview in the video player above.

"We've really approached our investments around two types of investments," Clark says. "One is really thinking about how we contribute to short-term recovery efforts, addressing immediate needs, and that's something our foundation hasn't traditionally been in, but we've done a number of investments, including with United Way, which has been a key partner here. For example, building out our vaccine response here in the city of Detroit, so allowing for more mobile units which are going out into the streets to get people vaccinations, as well as clinics, and also investments in helping leaders get out the message about the need for getting vaccines. But, also, we've just been putting dollars just into community response efforts and really thinking about how we're getting those dollars to those that are in greatest need. So, working with partners that are deep in the communities that they're working with, and, in some cases, we've seeded grant funds where community members are coming together and helping allocate those to those most in need. So, accessing food, helping small nonprofits that are helping each other, diaper banks, food banks, and the like, and getting dollars to those places. But the other way we're thinking about this is what are investments that are leading to our recovery, that are going to have long term, transformational impact. That's an exciting place to be as well."