b'The year 2020 was unlike any other. COVID-19 brought life as we knew it to a standstill and had many reflecting on whats really important. Thats whynow more than everwe at the Erie County Community Foundation (ECCF) understand the importance of remaining focused on our mission. Were proud to have had the ability to support our community during these unprecedented times. Not only have we been able to help sustain many local nonprofits through the varied and unanticipated challenges they faced, but weve had the opportunity to really dig in and get to know more about the work that theyre doing. One agency we partnered with this year was OHgo, a mobile nonprofit that delivers food, tangible goods and positive social/learning experiences using converted delivery trucks and an old school bus thats been renovated into a free grocery store on wheels. One of OHgos co-founders, Christine Boesch, shared a few takeaways from 2020. This year highlighted how essential and necessary it is to REFLECT have emergency relief available. REFLECT Throughout the pandemic, weve seen so many families living just one job loss or one health crisis away from food insecurity.Without an emergency network in place, those families would have nowhere to turn.Christine and fellow co-founder Kendra Faulkner also emphasized the importance of collaboration. Its amazing how much you can get done when people come together and collaborate for the greater good, Christine said. Mary Aaron of New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church agreed. In reflecting upon thecommunity outreach they did thanks to grant funding from the ECCF, she said, The pandemic really opened our eyes to doing more of whats needed and thats simply helping our neighbors. Moving forward, we can only grow from the insight gained during such a challenging year. Our shared experiences in working through this pandemic with our donors, our partner agencies and the entire Erie County community, have given us a more in-depth look at philanthropy in action andWHAT IS THE GOOD OFshifted our perspective as we think strategically about the future. EXPERIENCE IF YOU DO NOT REFLECT.FREDERICK THE GREAT2'