MultiCare Health System awards $500,000 to COVID-19 relief efforts, local nonprofits

Almost two dozen Spokane-area nonprofits and other organizations involved with COVID-19 relief efforts will receive $500,000 from the managers of MultiCare Health System’s Inland Northwest Region’s Community Partnership Fund.

The organization last week announced that 22 nonprofits were awarded $250,000. Another $250,000 is being donated to organizations working to provide COVID-19 relief.

“Our Community Partnership Fund puts our value of collaboration into action,” said David O’Brien, MultiCare’s senior vice president and chief executive for the Inland Northwest Region.

Funds were divided among local nonprofits in 10 categories: behavioral health, children, chronic disease, education, hunger, health care, homelessness, intentional injury, LGBTQ+ and oral health, he said.

“By collaborating with our award recipients, we are taking a joint stake in our community and making our community stronger during these unprecedented times,” O’Brien said in a prepared statement.

Some of the grant recipients include: Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest, Generation Alive, Innovia Foundation on behalf of the Spokane Regional Health District, Lumen High School & Lumen Early Learning Center, Women & Children’s Free Restaurant & Community Kitchen, Deer Park Ambulance, American Red Cross, Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, Spectrum and Big Table.

MultiCare is a nonprofit health organization with more than 20,000 employees, providers and volunteers.

It operates 10 hospitals in the state, including MultiCare Deaconess Hospital and MultiCare Valley Hospital.