The ASCV is excited to reopen our COVID-19 Relief Fund and start accepting a second round of applications during these difficult and uncertain times.
Many individuals with autism and their families are still in need of immediate support as a result of the financial hardship, job insecurity, and disruption of community resources and services related to COVID-19. Because of the generous support of those in our community, we are able to reopen this initiative to provide needed direct financial assistance to local individuals with autism and their families.
ASCV COVID-19 Relief Fund
The ASCV’s COVID-19 Relief Fund was established to assist individuals and families with groceries, essential household supplies, activities, and/or self-care opportunities. Through this financial assistance program, individuals with autism and their caregiver(s) will be eligible to receive one of the following:
- Up to $100 for essential items & groceries
- Up to $50 for activities and/or entertainment for an individual with autism
- Up to $50 for caregiver self-care opportunities
- Up to $100 for combination of essential items and activities
Eligibility
Adults with autism and parent(s)/legal guardians who are the primary caregiver of an individual with autism are eligible for this program.
Priority will be given to ASCV members and those applying for assistance with essential items and groceries.
An application can be submitted for each individual on the spectrum within a household. The household must reside in our service territory.*
Partial grants could be awarded.
Please note, in order to support as many families as possible with our limited funding, those who received funding in the first round of applications are not eligible to apply again.
Application Process
To apply for this program, please complete the application by clicking the button below.
A committee will begin reviewing this second round of applications on June 8, 2020. The number of applications awarded will be based on the number received and the amount of funds available. Applicants will receive a notification regarding the outcome of their funding request once a decision has been made. If awarded, gift cards and/or items will be distributed within a week of notification.
If you would like to apply by mail instead of online, please download the application and mail your completed forms to the ASCV at 200 S. 3rd St., Richmond, VA 23219.
If you need assistance completing your application and/or have any questions, please contact us [email protected].
We are proud to be here as a support and resource for you and your family during this time!
Eligible Items and Activities
- Walmart E-Gift Card
- Food Lion Gift Card (mailed)
- Publix Gift Card (mailed)
- Physical Activities, Books, Games, Legos, Art Supplies, etc. via Amazon; these items will be shipped directly to recipient
- Virtual games, audio books, subscriptions to programs, etc. via Audible, Google Play, or iTunes/app store e-gift card
- Workout Classes, yoga, mindfulness activities via e-gift card
- Netflix or Hulu Gift Card
- Restaurant take out via meal delivery service gift card (e.g. DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats) or e-gift cards to restaurants included here
You can help us fill this urgent need by making a gift to the ASCV today.
To restrict your funds to only be used for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, please include a note with your donation.
If you would like to make an in-kind donation, you can email e-gift cards from:
Publix, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Food Lion, or Amazon
to the ASCV at [email protected]
All donations are tax deductible. Under the new CARES Act, charitable donations up to $300 will be an “above the line” tax deduction on 2020 tax returns. “Above the line” means that you do NOT need to itemize to take this deduction on your 2020 taxes. Our EIN is 46-1250829.
Thank you to Food Lion for their generous support of the ASCV's COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Thanks also to Publix and Wegman’s for their contributions.
Applicants for funding through this program may be receiving other federal, state or local benefits and services. Because financial eligibility for programs varies greatly, funding paid directly to the individual or to a representative on the individual’s behalf may be counted as “unearned income” and could impact program eligibility. It is up to the individual to confirm this with any other program through which they may be receiving support.