Nassau County announced Wednesday a plan to provide $17.9 million in grants to help the county's not-for-profits and health and human service providers.

The federal grants are from the American Rescue Plan and are aimed at giving a financial boost to mental health, social services, substance abuse support, veterans, seniors and youth programs.

County officials say all of these programs experienced a surge in demand during the height of COVID.

"There was lot of depression, a lot of anxiety, financial insecurity, substance abuse, other kinds of abuse," says Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. "These nonprofits, our nonprofit partners, were really in a lurch to doing all they could to help people."

One of the organizations that'll benefit from the grants is the Safe Center of Long Island. The executive director says it's been a struggle to provide services during the pandemic with limited resources.

"We got through as best we could and now this money is going to be a godsend for us," says Cynthia Scott, executive director of the Safe Center of Long Island.

Elsie Estrada, a domestic abuse victim who left her husband, says she found refuge at the Safe Center of Long Island. Estrada says she received lifesaving support for her and her children.

"When we left my daughter tried to commit suicide more than once and they were there to hold my hand and to give me all the support that I needed," says Estrada.

County officials say not-for-profits and health and human service providers can now apply for grants online through the new Boost Nassau Portal.