Message To The Community From CFMT

The Middle Tennessee community has been hit with a deadly and devastating one-two-three punch: first the early March tornadoes, then the steadily threatening effects of the worldwide COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, then the free-falling economic disaster that threatens to outlast them all.

Our friends and neighbors are and will be suffering.

We are all suffering.

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee began our work as a disaster recovery partner with Metro Nashville’s Office of Emergency Management in the early hours of March 3, 2020, as well as with officials in Wilson and Putnam counties, among others.

We deeply appreciate the many donors who have supported the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund. For those interested in keeping up with our disaster recovery work, please visit our dedicated website TornadoResponse.com .

We continue to receive generous contributions from near and far, and welcome them online at the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund and offline at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, P.O. Box 440225, Nashville, TN 37244.

COVID-19/Coronavirus Response

Coronavirus has reshaped, NOT stopped our important work to support the Middle Tennessee community. We want you to know we are open, but we are making some adjustments to stay safe as well. The majority of our team is working remotely, others critical to business are in the office but behind closed doors to ensure the best practices of social distancing are implemented. Donors wanting to make gifts are encouraged to do so online or by mail, not the usual pop-in visit we enjoy so much. Daily mail and deliveries will continue to be accepted, although at a newly established arms-length distance. These protocols go against our nature of being the connector, but we know we must do our part for the health and welfare of our community.

Many have inquired whether we have established a fund for COVID-19 response. So that we may continue focusing our energy on Tornado Response, we are happy to share that United Way of Greater Nashville has accepted that important role to partner with Mayor John Cooper’s office to establish the COVID-19 Response Fund.

Hospitality Industry Relief Efforts

We also are working closely with our nonprofit and civic partners to help aid Middle Tennessee’s tourism, arts and entertainment and hospitality industries and to determine where we might make grants to nonprofits that are directly supporting the many thousands of workers suddenly unemployed, those who have made the Nashville area Music City have suffered mightily with tornado damage and making resource referrals to those impacted by shutdowns and postponements due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

Those affected include the Middle Tennessean’s who work at festivals, bars, nightclubs, concert touring, restaurants, convention business, the hotel industry, art galleries, performing arts groups, museums, and movie theaters. Canceled events have represented a staggering financial loss of $100-plus millions of dollars and counting in direct spending, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp said, with the Music City Center reporting dozens of events canceled as a result of the pandemic.

NowPlayingNashville.com, a longtime initiative of The Community Foundation, is capturing the details of postponed and canceled events to help inform both residents and visitors as well as the many streaming events that are being improvised by the creative members of our community.

We look forward to staying connected, but know we will enjoy it more when we can get back to shaking your hand and offering the occasional hug.

We will fight back, and we will heal. Together as one.

Sincerely,
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Staff