Prince William County creates Coronavirus Relief Fund

The Human Services Alliance of Greater Prince William, with the partnership of the Prince William County Government, the City of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park, has created The Prince William County Area Disaster Fund: a relief effort to alleviate the effects of the coronavirus on Prince William County. 

The project is funded through donations from residents and organizations. The ability to donate to the fund was only made available last week, and it has since raised over $10,000, with more donations pouring in by the day. 

“We are so encouraged by just everyone’s willingness to share. We’ve had people say ‘I’m donating my entire stimulus check,’” said Chelsi Conaway, the executive director of The Human Services Alliance of Greater Prince William.

The money donated will be allocated to community groups in need of funding to aid issues resulting from the new coronavirus. Traditional community groups, such as nonprofit organizations or food banks, are not the only ones who are eligible for funds, Homeowners Associations and fraternal organizations who are aiding in the relief effort are eligible too. 

“The Alliance will administer the money received to interested community groups that can show collaboration, efficiency and impact in their plans to serve Prince William County residents in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic,” says a statement on the The Human Services Alliance of Greater Prince William’s website. 

The amount of money a community group will receive, of which will be a grant, will depend on the amount of money they need for their efforts and the number of donations the fund receives. In order to get the money, community groups will need to fill out an application, which has not yet been made available, that will gather information about the organization and determine if their intended project aligns with the goals of the fund.

The applications will be open for a four-week period and then closed for a few days to allow the grand review committee, which will also be made up of community groups, to look over them.  

A limit to how many community groups will receive the money has not yet been determined, as it is all based on the number of donations the fund will receive. 

If you are interested in donating to the fund, you can do so by visiting their website, texting the word ‘IMPACT’ to 36413, or by mailing a check made payable to “The Alliance” with “Prince William Area Disaster Fund” in the memo line. The checks should be mailed to The Human Services Alliance of Greater Prince William, 9073 Center St, Manassas, Va., 20110.

“We really are all in this together, and when we unite and channel our energy and our funds and our resources in one direction it can have a greater impact,” said Conaway.