Support Fund FAQ

The Support Fund provides financial assistance to home care employees who experience personal financial hardships. These hardships can arise from a range of circumstances, including unexpected medical expenses, emergency home repairs, essential utility bills, or other critical financial obligations.

The Cares Fund, previously managed by an external vendor, has been closed. The Support Fund has been created to replace and improve upon the financial assistance we provide to employees in times of hardship.

• The Support Fund replaces the Help at Home Cares Fund.
• Applications are reviewed by the Support Fund Committee. Previously, this was managed by an external vendor.
• New online donation process and grant application: https://hahcommunityfoundation.org. Lowered minimum grant to $100 (Maximum still $2,000)
• $100-$250 grants paid directly to grant recipient; $250+ paid to a vendor
• Expanded applicant and qualifying event criteria better suited to the varying needs of applicants/employees

You must meet one of the following criteria:

1. Currently employed at Help at Home organization, including any of its subsidiaries and affiliates.
   • Must have been employed for at least 90 days.
   • An active status employee or on an approved leave of absence.
2. An eligible dependent of a current Help at Home employee who is also not a client receiving services from Help at Home or any of its subsidiaries.
3. A former employee of Help at Home organization, including any of its subsidiaries and affiliates, who is also currently an active Caregiver.
   • Must have left on good terms.

Our grant criteria had to be expanded to meet the legal requirements of being a 501c3 organization. We thoughtfully selected additional criteria for applicants that positively impact the communities we most closely engage with.

Apply within 90 days of a qualifying event, such as natural disaster or medical emergency. A qualifying event can be a significant event(s) or radical change of status in a person’s life that creates an immediate, unforeseen, and substantial financial requirement. View the full list of eligible events on the Foundation website. Even if you don’t see your exact event listed, we encourage you to apply.

Grant awards depend on the qualifying event and need, which could range from $100 – $2,000. The maximum amount applicants may receive in a year is $2,000, unless otherwise approved by the Board.

Complete the online application at https://hahcommunityfoundation.org/grants. For requests over $250, documentation is required.

NOTE: The application must establish a financial need with supporting documentation that confirms the expenses for which the grant is being requested. Grants over $250 cannot be made without copies of current bills, invoices, or receipts proving direct financial impact to the applicant.

The Support Fund considers the employee’s spouse/domestic partner, minor children, and other dependents for whom the employee is financially responsible as eligible dependents.

NOTE: A domestic partner is defined as “an on-going and committed spouse-like relationship between adults of the same or opposite gender.”

An applicant may be eligible for assistance if they are financially responsible for funeral, burial, or travel expenses due to the death of an immediate family member. The Help at Home Support Fund defines an eligible immediate family member as any of the following:

• Spouse or partner in a civil union or domestic partnership Parent
• Child Sibling
• Grandparent Grandchild
• Spousal grandparent
• Aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew Father-in-law or mother-in-law Brother-in-law or sister-in-law Son-in-law or daughter-in-law

The Support Fund committee meets weekly to review applications. It is important to submit all supporting documentation and payment details as requested to ensure timely payment! Payments are issued on the 15th and 30th of each month.

The Support Fund committee will notify you by email with a decision about your application. They may also contact you via email if information or documentation is missing.

No. Grants awarded from the Fund are not loans and do not have to be repaid.

No. The Help at Home Support Fund is available for those employees who do not have the means themselves, or other resources available, to pay their living expenses.

Yes. Your personal information is only used to determine your eligibility for a grant and to determine the grant amount to be made. Applications to the Fund are reviewed by the Support Fund Committee and will be treated in a confidential manner; however, non-identifying statistical information will be utilized on a periodic basis to help the foundation improve the Fund.

No. If you think a co-worker would benefit from the Support Fund, please pass along information about the Fund so that they can follow up. In the case of an employee who is incapacitated, a family member or manager can apply on the employee’s behalf.