Heritage Ministries was recently awarded a substantial $375,000 COVID-19 funding opportunity by the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA), Lisa Haglund, Heritage President and CEO, shared this week.
Haglund explained that the loan is a first for both Heritage and the CCIDA, noting that they are the first not-for-profit to receive funding as a part of a large pool released by the CCIDA for not-for-profit support during COVID-19 in Chautauqua County.
“We are both blessed and honored that the CCIDA has come alongside Heritage in our continued fight against COVID-19. The seniors that we serve deserve the very best from us and our Heritage teams, from chaplaincy to activities and everyone in between have remained committed to using love, imagination, innovation, and faith to find ways to encourage and provide hope in the midst of darkness. This new partnership with the CCIDA will aid Heritage in continuing to maintain the high standard of care for which we are known, and will provide added operational capital to fund COVID-19 related expenses, which have placed a large financial burden on many senior care organizations, including Heritage, over the past year,” she said.
Haglund continued, “We are privileged to work in partnership with the CCIDA, and are truly humbled by their generosity to Heritage during this unprecedented time,” she continued, “Carol Rasmussen was instrumental in working to provide Heritage with this opportunity, and we cannot thank her and the CCIDA enough for the financial assistance we have received. Their support allows us to focus our attention on our residents, whose care, as the most vulnerable COVID-19 population, remains our top priority, as we work to continue to provide Hope, Dignity, and Purposeful Living.”
Carol Rasmussen, CCIDA Business Development Manager, stated that the loan granted to Heritage was part of a $10 million distribution from New York State designated to provide COVID-19 related relief to those organizations affected by the pandemic. “The CCIDA feels strongly that investing in our local businesses is paramount to their success during these challenging times. Organizations such as Heritage, and the work they do with seniors in our region, are the backbone of our community. We are honored to partner Heritage, and to invest in their future with the first CCIDA not-for-profit low interest loan of its kind. “