The NYC Haitian Community Hope and Healing Fund, created to help local Haitians deal with the aftershocks of the earthquake, announced its first grants today.

The fund is doling out $250,000 to 12 local organizations, including CUNY Citizenship Now!, which helps with immigration cases; Kongo, a cultural organization that uses Haitian music to help kids heal; and Diaspora Community Services, a Haitian-led social services provider in Brooklyn.

The fund has raised $429,000 so far. Executives there say they will announce additional grants in the coming months. “[We] have been working closely with the fund's advisory committee to better understand the community's needs, and we will continue to keep watch on these issues as they develop,” says Marilyn Gelber, president of the Brooklyn Community Foundation, which launched the fund with the United Way of New York City.