Resilience Fund’s goal? Timely, meaningful help

By Juliette Coulter

In April 2020, Texas Women’s Foundation established the Resilience Fund (RF) to provide immediate, mid- and long-term support to women, girls and families most affected by the COVID-19 economic and community health crisis. 

With $1.4 million raised and granted, the Resilience Fund is impacting lives of many, especially women of color, who have been the hardest hit this year. 

During this season of giving, the Foundation is asking the community to donate to the Resilience Fund to assist the many women and families who are struggling.

The Resilience Fund supports the following: 

Child Care

The RF provides grants to support the child care system and working mothers facing the lack of immediate and long-term child care options. The coronavirus has forced temporary and permanent closure of almost half of Texas’ child care providers, impacting low-income working mothers, especially women of color. 

Housing

The RF also provides grants to support housing stability, offering families rental assistance, transitional housing and self-sufficiency programs. With jobs lost overnight for low-wage workers — many of whom are Black and Latina women and families.

Working Mothers at 

the Margins 

The RF provides grants to support working mothers who are at the greatest economic fragility and risk due to the pandemic. In April, women accounted for 55 percent of the 20.5 million jobs lost. This percentage continued to rise with devastating economic consequences.

Health Insurance

Texas has the highest rate of people without insurance in the nation. To help the uninsured, the Resilience Fund improves access to services for women whose only options are free or at a greatly reduced cost through community-based programs. These services help women with chronic conditions, women who need obstetrical and reproductive health services, and those who have suffered trauma and violence and are in need of mental health services. 

Roslyn Dawson Thompson, president and CEO of Texas Women’s Foundation, said, “Texas Women’s Foundation has long supported women at the margins. They are the reason we are focused on women’s economic security as a critical mandate for Texas’ future. We know low income women and their families have borne the brunt of the pandemic’s impact, and they continue to face relentless and ongoing challenges in the weeks and months ahead. With the help of our community of donors and friends, we provide timely and meaningful responses to the needs of vulnerable women and families through the Resilience Fund.”

For more information, visit txwf.org.