The Town of Old Saybrook has money available for residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible residents can receive up to $1,500 in aid to offset financial stress caused by the pandemic. The deadline to apply is Friday, Dec. 9.

The Old Saybrook Committee for Active Revery Efforts in Saybrook (CARES committee) is now accepting applications from residents who need help due to the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents can apply for a grant that will provide up to $1,500 for food, housing, utilities, child care, or transportation costs related to layoffs or unemployment due to COVID-19, the town announced in a press release.

To apply for the grant, a person must be an Old Saybrook resident, and the need must be for one of the stated uses. Only one grant will be approved per household. Applications are available in Old Saybrook Town Hall or Old Saybrook Youth and Family Services. Applicants will be reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis, according to the release. Applications must be in by Friday, Dec. 9.

Applications can be dropped off at the Old Saybrook Town Hall, emailed to oldsaybrookcares@oldsaybrookct.gov, or mailed to OS CARES Committee c/o Town Hall, 302 Main Street, Old Saybrook, CT 06475. All applications will be reviewed and considered by the CARES committee.

In a statement, First Selectman Carl Fortuna said, “These funds were raised through the Old Saybrook CARES program to benefit town residents affected by COVID-19, and I thank the committee for their efforts to Old Saybrook’s response to this health crisis.”

The CARES committee was formed in the summer as a way to begin assisting residents. The CARES committee is a child of the town’s Long Term Recovery Committee which Fortuna said was established in May 2020.

So far, Fortuna said the CARES committee has given out over $140,000 in aid, and $43,154.36 remains available.

According to the press release, “The Steering Committee members include town residents, Mark Ricciardelli, Ashley Smelser, Leigh Morant, Kristen Roberts and Maureen Zavatone. The committee raised funds through private donations to support residents who are impacted due to a natural disaster, like COVID, which was the reason the committee was initially formed.”

To make a tax-deductible donation, checks can be mailed to Old Saybrook Cares Committee, c/o Town Hall, 302 Main St., Old Saybrook, CT 06475.