SpokaneFāVS
As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act economic stabilization plan of 2020, Spokane Faith and Values (FāVS), the parent non-profit of SpokaneFāVS.com and the FāVS Center, won an OPENTogether Small Business and Non-Profit grant to assist in keeping it economically viable during the current pandemic crisis.
According to a GSI press release on July 1, 2020, about the OPENTogether Small Business and Non-Profit grant program, “Spokane County has allocated $10 million of CARES Act dollars to fund a grant program to support small and non-profit businesses with 20 and fewer employees to help offset safety and operating costs, rent and other allowable expenses.”
Funding has been provided through the Greater Spokane Incorporated (GSI) and the Spokane County Board of Commissioners (SCBC).
“Since the pandemic, FāVS has seen a significant loss in revenue because donations are down and our building has been closed most of this time,” said Tracy Simmons, editor of SpokaneFāVS.com and executive director of the FāVS Center.
“However, stories on faith and ethics are still needed in the Spokane community, and this generous OPENTogether Small Business and Non-Profit grant will allow us to continue meeting that need. We’re so grateful to them!”
Simmons has dedicated a special section on FāVS’ website to all COVID-19 related news within the faith and values beat. This includes the new FāVS Forward podcasts about how people of faith, and non-faith, can stay connected during COVID-19.
“While we know these grants will not replace the lost revenue caused by the pandemic, our hope is that they will act as a bridge to better days ahead,” said Al French, chair of the SCBC in a GSI press release on July 23, 2020.
Recently, the FāVS Center re-opened for religious events and gatherings. Groups of up to 100 can gather outdoors and of up to 30 indoors, using Governor Jay Inslee’s Phase 2 Religious and Faith-Based Organization COVID-19 Requirements.
Cassandra Benefield mostly goes by Cassy (pronounced like Cassie but spelled with a ‘y’). She is a wife and mommy, who married at the age of 37 and had her baby girl just shy of 39. She has moved around all her life, first as an Army brat. She is a returned Peace Corps volunteer to Romania where she taught Conversational English, Modern Literature, Creative Writing, U.S. Culture, U.S. Geography, and U.S. History (the last two subjects she was so not qualified to teach!). She is a Journalism major from Cal Poly Technical University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. She finds much comfort in her Savior, Jesus Christ, and considers herself a Bible nerd who is prone to buy more theology books than she is ever able to read. Morro Bay, California, is her favorite place on earth … with the exception of being in the center of God’s will. From time to time, you will find her writing devotions on her blog underhisshadow.blogspot.com.
