A common refrain throughout 2020 has been that times are tough as people face hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, has provided some amount of financial relief nationally and locally since it was put into effect in March of this year. The Lakes and Pines Community Action Council is no stranger to providing community assistance, and since the pandemic began, their outreach has only grown to meet an increasing demand.
Bob Benes, executive director of Lakes and Pines, broadly broke his organizationâs forms of aid down into three categories, funding for specific work, funding for general work, and funding that could be used flexibly, especially in cases where a family had a unique need outside other funding streams.