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The Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) recently partnered with Until We Do It, an organization committed to assisting marginalized and at-risk communities weather to COVID-19 storm, to distributed face masks across the region.

“The Black Belt Community Foundation’s commitment to serving [its] 12 counties so holistically made them a natural fit to partner with us at Until We Do It,” said Kristen Gillis, a founding member of the organization. “[BBCF’s] deep reach into these communities and, more specifically, the marginalized population provided a clear distribution network to support our donation. We look forward to our continued work together to strengthen these communities.”

As the partnership began, BBCF assessed the needs of the 12 counties in its service area – Bullock, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter and Wilcox counties – by connecting with county commissioners and probate judges across the region.

Teaming up with Until We Do It, which has set a goal of providing 50 million non-medical faces masks to vulnerable communities across the country, BBCF was able to distribute 7,500 masks across the Black Belt.

The masks, not made for frontline responders or healthcare workers, are ideal for public use during day-to-day activities and were made possible by partners Bella Canvas, another organization that has prioritized the manufacturing of masks and stepped up to provide for needy communities.

“Since the beginning our COVID-19 Relief Fund close to the start of the health crisis shutdown, BBCF has been amazed by the outpouring of support from so many different organizations and private donors looking for ways to quickly help in the Black Belt,” said BBCF President Felecia Lucky. “We are thankful that our 16 years of hard work in assembling an effective network of BBCF Community Associates across the 12 counties can be brought to bear quickly to help those who need it most.”

In addition to its work alongside Until We Do It to hand out thousands of face masks across the Black Belt, BBCF is offering other ways to get involved and support its COVID-19 relief efforts – organizations actively working in one of the group’s 12 counties can join forces with BBCF by sending an email to info@blackbeltfound.org.

Additionally, individual contributions can be made to the group’s COVID-19 Relief Fund online at blackbeltfound.org.

In its 16-year history, the BBCF has been awarded more than $5 million in grants to support more than 450 community-led initiatives across the Black Belt.