LEWISTON — The Maine Community Foundation has awarded nearly $500,000 in grants to assist COVID-19 response efforts across the state.

The foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund supports community-based organizations working with the viral outbreak and its consequences. Maine nonprofit organizations that received grants include area agencies on aging, community action programs, homeless shelters and other community-based organizations that are providing food to those in need.

Area organizations that received grants were:

Community action programs

• Community Concepts, Lewiston: $20,000;

• Kennebec Valley Community Action Programs, Augusta: $20,000;

• Midcoast Maine Community Action, Bath: $20,000;

• Western Maine Community Action, East Wilton: $15,000.

Area agencies on aging

• SeniorsPlus, Lewiston: $15,000;

• Spectrum Generations, Augusta: $15,000.

Food pantries and homeless shelters

• Bread of Life Ministries, Augusta: $6,000;

• Good Shepherd Food Bank, Auburn: $75,000;

• Hope Haven Gospel Mission, Lewiston: $6,400;

• Rumford Group Homes, Rumford: $6,000;

• Tedford Housing, Brunswick: $3,200;

• Western Maine Homeless Outreach, Farmington: $3,000.

Community organizations supporting immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers

• Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services, Lewiston: $1,500;

• Somali Bantu Community Association, Lewiston: $2,500.

Funding for the COVID-19 grants came from an unrestricted fund at the Maine Community Foundation, a MaineCF fund dedicated to food security, and additional contributions from donor-advised funds. The grants were awarded proactively and not through an application process.

Donations to the foundation’s COVID-19 Fund may be made online at www.maincf.org.