COVID-19 Relief Funds Are Being Distributed To Sacramento Families. Here’s How One Mom Is Using The Money.

In her Rancho Cordova home, Gladis Maricela Santos Gutiérrez is trying her best to occupy her two children, ages five and eight, while staving off stress. 

She’s seven months pregnant and can’t do her usual job as a house cleaner due to the health risks. And even if she could, there isn’t much work while everyone’s sheltering in place due to COVID-19. 

“We’re living day by day,” she told CapRadio through a translator.

Some relief came last week when she received a check from Donate4Sacramento, a local assistance fund that’s providing $500 checks to families in need. 

“I didn’t think that someone could do that for me, honestly,” she said. “For me, well [it was] like a miracle. I never expected help and truthfully it has helped me a lot and I’m, well, very grateful.

Donate4Sacramento has raised more than a million dollars to soften the economic blow of COVID-19 on low-income families and organizations.

The money has been coming in from major tech, auto and financial companies, as well as from individual donors looking to help their neighbors. 

A private philanthropy called the Sierra Health Foundation is helping to administer the fund. Their latest update shows $1,202,397 were collected, and $1,044,787 have been distributed so far. That money goes into five different pots:

• family support that goes to the United Way California Capital Region’s COVID-19 Local Relief Fund
• support for homeless residents through area nonprofits by providing emergency shelters, hygiene stations and other solutions
• non-profit support through the Sacramento Region Community Foundation
• general support on an as-needed basis
• the city’s small business emergency relief fund 

Santos says she used the bulk of her check to pay rent and buy food.

“I can get some little things for my baby. And then well, my kids … the oldest, he didn’t have shoes and I got him some shoes,” she said. 

The relief fund is still collecting donations. People can donate online here, or mail a check to:

The Center at Sierra Health Foundation

c/o Donate4Sacramento

1321 Garden Highway

Sacramento, CA 95833

Bert Johnson contributed reporting and translation assistance to this story.