Richfield Emergency Community Support Fund

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Our funds are limited, so we use referral partners to prioritize the available money. The partners we are currently working with are Richfield Public Schools and Partnership Academy. If you have a child in Richfield Public Schools or Partnership Academy, you can contact your school's main office or social worker to be referred for the coming month's rent.

If you don't have a connection with our current referral partners, you can apply for assistance through VEAP. They likely have a waiting list, but it's worth putting your name on their list. They have connections with other social service agencies and may know of other resources that we are not yet aware of. While you are there, you can sign up for their food distribution program, which provides a week's worth of fresh food, including milk, eggs, and meat, for your entire family at least once a month.

While we wait to have more funds to distribute, we can connect you with support such as food pantries, transportation, or other resources that can supplement your family budget or help you get back on your feet, allowing you to direct your family's resources toward rent. To do this, please complete our Form to Request Help from your Richfield Neighbors here to see how we can help you right now.

We are working on expanding our network of referral partners in the coming months and are commited to continue raising funds to help more people.

Because final rent amounts owed varied slightly from initial requests, the final February 1 disbursement totaled $37,394.

With the March 1 allocation of $49,908, our combined February + March disbursement total is $87,302 to date.

Breakdown by Referral Partner

Partnership Academy (PA)

• February: $19,699 supporting 14 households

• March: $22,410 supporting 15 households

• Total Households Supported (Feb + Mar): 29

• Children Impacted: 49

Richfield Public Schools (RPS)

• February: $17,649 supporting 16 households

• March: $27,499 supporting 21 households

• Total Households Supported (Feb + Mar): 37

• Children Impacted: 70

Seasons Park via GoFundMe

•  March: $13,400 supporting 11 households

• Total Households Supported (Mar only): 11  

• Children Impacted: Not tracked

Total Community Impact (February + March)

• 77 households stabilized

• 119+ children supported

• $100,702 distributed (or in the process of being distributed for March 1 rent)

  • $87,302 via Emergency Community Support Fund 

  • $13,400 via GoFundMe

Each dollar represents housing stability for families navigating significant financial disruption. Together, we are helping to prevent eviction, preserve school stability for children, and strengthen the broader fabric of our community.

We remain deeply grateful to donors, volunteers, and partners who make this work possible. Additional updates will be shared as future funding cycles are secured.

As of March 1, all available Emergency Community Support Fund dollars have been fully allocated and approved. A total of $49,908 is currently in process, with Richfield Leadership Network issuing payments directly to landlords and property owners on behalf of:

• 15 Partnership Academy families

• 21 Richfield Public Schools families

• All households reside in Richfield except one who was paid due to an administrative error (the address is located two blocks outside of Richfield in Minneapolis).

Additional Emergency Fundraising Update

In addition to the March 1 Community Fund allocation, our network mobilized quickly when tenant organizers at Seasons Park shared that 11 additional households were still at immediate risk of nonpayment due to sudden income disruption.

Within 24 hours, community members contributed $13,400 through a separate emergency campaign hosted on GoFundMe.

Given the scale of continued need — and early indications of significant unmet April rent demand — we have since increased the campaign goal to $27,000 to proactively address anticipated gaps for the upcoming rent cycle.

This rapid response reflects the strength of our neighborhood-based mode

• Direct communication from tenant leaders

• Immediate verification of need

• Transparent fundraising

• Funds deployed quickly to prevent displacement

While the March 1 Community Fund dollars have been fully allocated, this additional effort ensures that families who were not covered in the initial distribution still have a pathway to housing stability.

We will continue sharing updates as April requests are finalized and disbursements are processed.