Howard Levine, Truist donate $1 million each for fundraiser amid NC coronavirus threat
Howard Levine, former chairman/CEO of Family Dollar Stores, and Truist Financial Corp. each donated $1 million Tuesday to a fundraising effort for residents hurt economically amid the novel coronavirus outbreak
The donations were announced at Tuesday night’s Mecklenburg County commissioners’ meeting at which commissioners unanimously approved a $1.3 million contribution from the county’s general fund to the effort.
Speaking to commissioners from another location, Levine said he has long supported such community betterment efforts and can’t imagine what people are enduring as a result of the impact of the virus on the economy. The contribution will come from his Howard R. Levine Foundation.
To applause at the meeting, Laura Clark, president/CEO of United Way of Central Carolinas, said the donations mean the fund has now raised over $5 million.
The COVID-19 Response Fund will be overseen by the Foundation for the Carolinas and United Way of Central Carolinas.
Overall, Truist is donating $25 million to support basic needs, medical supplies, and financial hardship in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the bank said Tuesday.
The Charlotte-based financial institution will donate $1 million to both the CDC Foundation and Johns Hopkins University, and $3 million to local United Way organizations, it said in a news release.
LendingTree CEO Doug Lebda helped launch the local COVID-19 Response Fund with a $ 1 million gift from his company on Monday.
“Now is the time to pull together,” Lebda said at the time. “We want to make sure this money gets to the people who need help.”
Lebda said charitable contributions to the fund will help people “affected,” but not necessarily “infected” by the coronavirus, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. An advisory committee will determine how grants are distributed across different agencies.
The CMS Foundation, a nonprofit arm of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, separately announced a relief fund to help students and their families during the outbreak.
By Tuesday afternoon, 11 people in Mecklenburg County had tested positive for the coronavirus, health officials said. Statewide, more than 60 people had tested positive by Tuesday afternoon.
Gov. Roy Cooper ordered restaurants and bars to close except for takeout and delivery orders, effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Other states issued similar orders, including New York and Ohio.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles on Monday praised the COVID-19 Response Fund as a great example of Charlotte’s private-public partnerships. “We are going to begin to make a difference,” she said.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 7:06 PM.