Taking Care of Our Communities in an Unprecedented Time

At every one of our projects, Apex strives to be a true community partner. Now, more than ever, we are committed to supporting those who make our work possible.

Across the country, Apexers are seeing project communities struggle under the weight of unforeseen challenges—increased demands on community resources and safety net services, strained health-care systems, and struggling local businesses. As partners, we cannot sit on the sidelines.

Each of these communities is vital to our country for the same reason every other little town is vital: it’s unique. And in the battle against the coronavirus, each town or county faces its own unique trials—so when it comes to solutions, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Relief efforts take many forms. As the nation reels from the impacts of COVID-19, the Apex team is working to provide targeted support for the most vulnerable members of each project community. Here is a snapshot of some of the relief efforts that are needed most.

Piatt County, Illinois

In Piatt County, Illinois, Goose Creek Wind found that relief means donating funds to Services for Seniors and Piattran, the local public transportation system. The donation, beyond helping Piattran continue service amid decreased ridership, is helping the system provide grocery and pharmacy delivery to the highest-risk members of the community who should avoid any and all public exposure.

Orleans County, New York

Health-care workers at the Medina Memorial Hospital—the only hospital in the county—are working to protect themselves and care for their patients despite a shortage of medical-grade personal protective equipment (PPE). Heritage Wind donated funds that the hospital used to purchase a tabletop autoclave sterilization unit, which reduces the time required to sterilize PPE from several hours to twenty minutes—a move that will help protect the community’s first line of defense against COVID-19.

Boone and Hamilton Counties, Iowa

In Iowa’s Boone and Hamilton Counties, many small businesses are operating at a fraction of their normal capacity—if they haven’t closed up shop entirely. Although this sacrifice helps flattens the curve, it comes with drastic economic uncertainties as businesses look to the future. Great Pathfinder Wind is supporting the Small Business Assistance Grant—newly established by the Boone County Chamber of Commerce, it provides interim relief to businesses and organizations that are integral to the community and that are struggling to cope with the financial impacts of the coronavirus.

Bourbon and Crawford Counties, Kansas

In Bourbon and Crawford Counties, Jayhawk Wind’s relief work includes sponsoring the Girard Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to provide meals to senior citizens—a highly vulnerable population—and supporting the Beacon, a local food pantry that served nearly 500 Bourbon County families before the  pandemic took hold and has been overwhelmed by demand since. In Crawford County, the project is also sponsoring a program called “Pittsburg Strong,” which is working to support local businesses and inspire hope among community members in the Pittsburg area. Jayhawk Wind and others are funding the purchase of “Pittsburg Strong” T-shirts and donating them to small businesses to sell, providing local companies with a revenue stream as they face an otherwise uncertain economic future.

Seneca and Sandusky Counties, Ohio

Like others all across the country, the health-care systems of Seneca and Sandusky Counties, Ohio, are straining under the spike in demand for their services. Nonprofit organizations working to feed struggling local families are similarly stretched to the breaking point. Each week over the coming months, Republic Wind is donating meals from local restaurants to essential employees battling COVID-19 on the front lines at different local hospitals, medical centers, and food pantries.

Isabella and Montcalm Counties, Michigan

Food pantries in Isabella and Montcalm Counties—like many around the country—are seeing demand spike as families confront the sudden and unexpected economic realities of the moment. In an effort to meet that demand, Apex and Isabella Wind are supporting a number of food pantries, including Trinity Church Food Pantry, Bread of Life Pantry, Community Compassion Network, and REAP Food Pantry.

Over the coming month, Apex and Isabella Wind are also providing meals to health-care workers at several hospitals throughout Montcalm and Isabella—a small token of appreciation for the selfless dedication of those preserving the community’s health and safety.

Charlottesville, Virginia

Apex’s hometown of Charlottesville is not exempt from the impacts of the coronavirus. In addition to the company’s year-round community support efforts, in response to COVID-19, Apex donated to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, which serves tens of thousands of families across central and western Virginia—a mission more critical than ever. As families lost their sources of income due to impacts from the coronavirus, the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, a distribution partner of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, experienced an initial spike in demand of more than 40%—a heart-wrenching trend that the organization expects to continue over the coming months.­

In response, Apex held a “Virtual Relay for Hunger” to support Loaves & Fishes and committed to matching the first $2,500 donated by employees. Apexers then hit the streets in intervals for a two-day relay of walking, running, or hiking. The team raised over $10,000 for the food pantry, more than doubling the initial goal.

Together, the Apex team is continuing a tradition of volunteering and philanthropy that has supported community building—as well as disaster response—since Apex’s founding more than a decade ago. Our work is not possible without the communities who host our projects, and our commitment to them is fundamental, now and in the years to come.