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Cleveland Stimulus Pledge raises $60,000 for local nonprofits

White House commits to sending stimulus checks within 2 weeks
Posted at 6:30 PM, Apr 24, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-24 19:37:06-04

CLEVELAND — A Cleveland woman's idea to share her stimulus check with neighbors in need quickly expanded from her living room to generating tens of thousands of dollars for local non-profits in Northeast Ohio.

Out of work and fighting to keep food on the table—that's the stressful situation that tens of thousands of families find themselves in.

"We have people who are going through a rough time right now. We have to help each other," said Yvonka Hall of Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition.

Hall's non-profit that started with her personal credit card is getting a huge financial boost.

"For our organization it was like a 100% increase," Hall said.

The Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition is currently delivering two weeks worth of food to dozens of children who might otherwise go hungry because they're not in school.

"It costs us $5,000 every two weeks," Hall said.

The much-needed influx of cash is coming from the Cleveland Stimulus Pledge.

"You know, in the back of my mind I thought Cleveland would step up," said Rebecca Maurer of the Cleveland Stimulus Pledge.

Maurer launched the site three weeks ago.

"I really started this in my house feeling very isolated,” Maurer said.

So far, people in Northeast Ohio on solid financial footing have pledged more than $60,000 of their stimulus checks to local non-profits.

"Heartwarming for me to see the response from the community. It's so phenomenal in this particular moment to give back. Specifically, in Northeast Ohio," Maurer said.

Chris Knestrick with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless said the money coming in from the stimulus pledge leaves them better prepared.

"It's going to be vital in the coming weeks and months to do our work. A small organization like ourselves can never fill the whole need,” Knestrick said.

Across Northeast Ohio, donations from the stimulus pledge are already making a difference supporting those who need it most.

"Oh my God, this is a lifesaver for so many people that we're helping. These dollars help us to be able to do what we do best," Hall said.

To learn more about the Cleveland Stimulus Pledge, click here.

RELATED: Slavic Village woman launches site to donate stimulus check, support local nonprofit organizations