A Gwinnett County resource to help residents struggling through the coronavirus pandemic just got a boost in funding.
The Lawrenceville Response Center, which opened last April, this month received more than half a million dollars in additional funding, including money from the city and the county.
The center raised $175,000 through donations, which was then matched by both Lawrenceville and Gwinnett County. The county will pay its match using federal CARES Act funds.
The initiative helped almost 800 residents in 381 Lawrenceville-area households last year, said Jen Young, the executive director of Impact46. The organization created the response center, which serves as a clearinghouse for help with employment, housing and other issues in response to the pandemic.
Young said the organization’s goal is to help 800 people this year, as well.
Help is available for any Gwinnett resident with a Lawrenceville address, inside or outside the city limits. Young said she hopes to replicate the response center in other Gwinnett County cities.
The organization spent about $1 million last year, Young said, with the bulk going to rental, utility and childcare assistance. There is also employment help available.
The response center partners with a number of organizations, including the Lawrenceville Co-Operative Ministry, Georgia Center for Opportunity, Lawrenceville Employment Assistance Program (LEAP), Families First, and the Gwinnett Housing Corporation.
More information is available at lawrencevilleresponsecenter.com.
