Special Kids Granted More Than $70,000 in TN “COVID-19” Funding
As a part of the Tennessee Community CARES Program, Special Kids Therapy & Nursing Center was recently rewarded a total of $73,542 by the Tennessee Department of Human Services.
Administered through United Way of Greater Nashville, the fund will be implemented to cover a variety of expenses brought on by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 health pandemic. Grant money will be used by Special Kids to address specific campus needs including improving campus technology for teletherapy services (laptops for team members working remotely), purchasing personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, etc.), cleaning equipment and supplies, as well as select payroll needs.
The Special Kids campus was closed over the course of nearly two months during the spring of 2020 as campus leaders worked on new protocols and practices to ensure the health and safety of all patients and staff during re-opening. Since May, both the therapy and nursing centers have worked to increase capacity while adhering to CDC and state health guidelines.
The Tennessee Community CARES Program has allotted $150 million in coronavirus relief funds for Tennessee non-profit organizations, including Special Kids. The relief funding is intended to cover expenses related to the pandemic between March 1 and November 15, including educational needs, workforce training, food assistance and caring for at-risk populations.
“We are excited to partner with the Special Kids Therapy and Nursing Center through our Tennessee Community CARES Program,” said TDHS Commissioner Danielle W. Barnes. “This grant funding will help continue important wrap around support for families of special needs children in Middle Tennessee. Supporting these families now will allow us to build a thriving Tennessee once the pandemic is over.”
“We know that so many families are struggling right now—to make ends meet and to receive the important services that they rely on every day,” said Brian Hassett, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Nashville. “We’re humbled to serve as one of the Tennessee Community CARES Program’s grant administrators and to ensure that this critical funding gets into the hands of the nonprofits and families who need it most. Special Kids is changing lives for so many, and we’re grateful for the great work they are doing in our community.”
The funds are being administered through other local organizations, including United Way of Greater Knoxville, Greater Chattanooga, Greater Nashville, and the Mid-South, as well as the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN.
Special Kids is a Christian therapy and nursing center for children with special needs. The Murfreesboro-based ministry started with one child in 1998 and has grown to serve over 4,500 children from 19 counties in middle Tennessee. For more information on Special Kids, please visit specialkidstn.com or call 615.893.4892.
