GLCF awards additional $55K in COVID-19 response grants in latest round

CTI YouthBuild of Greater Lowell students help unload a donation of diapers at Lowell Alliance’s Diaper Bank, a recent GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund grant recipient.

LOWELL – A dozen local nonprofits, from organizations that provide essential supplies to individuals in need to those who serve the hungry, have been announced as the recipients of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation’s most recent round of COVID-19 response grants. The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) announced that it granted an additional $55,000 in emergency grant funds from the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. 

“It has been eye-opening to see how COVID-19 has compounded the profound inequities in Greater Lowell. Local nonprofits are stretched beyond capacity to provide services to vulnerable populations due to growing needs,” said GLCF president & CEO Jay Linnehan. “There has never been a more critical time for our community to work together on solutions to address long-term challenges, and we are incredibly grateful to our donors who have continued to step up to offer support.”

In total, the community foundation awarded $55,125 to 12 organizations serving Greater Lowell. The GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund awards were the 11th round of grants disbursed by the community foundation this year. Since March, through grants from the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund and the Massachusetts COVID Relief Fund, the foundation has supported more than 100 local nonprofit organizations with grants totaling over $2.9 million. 

This round of grants has aided organizations such as Lowell Alliance, an organization that helps Lowell families and neighborhoods thrive by connecting them with critical resources, including diapers. “Since the pandemic began in March, Lowell Alliance has distributed almost 50,000 diapers to families in need, triple the amount of diapers we usually give out,” said Lowell Alliance Director Nancy Coan. “While some of the diapers are donated, we purchase most of the diapers we distribute, and we’ve struggled this year to keep up with the increased demand. GLCF’s grant for our diaper bank is critical in allowing us to continue to help meet the basic needs of vulnerable families in Lowell.”

The funding has also helped the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation to help local veterans and military families through its Food4Vets program. “Massachusetts Military Support Foundation is pleased to continue its Food4Vets program, which serves our Veteran Families in the greater Lowell region and throughout Massachusetts during the COVID-19 Emergency. Partners, like the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, enable us to respond to the needs of our partners, families, and other nonprofits who continue to meet the needs of those who are food insecure during this horrible pandemic,” said Don Cox, president of the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation.

Massachusetts Military Support Foundation, a recent GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund grant recipient, has engaged over 1,000 volunteers in its Food4Vets program.  Volunteers pictured here packed Food4Vets holiday food boxes to be distributed to families in the Greater Lowell region and across the state.

The twelve nonprofits receiving grants in the latest round of the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund are:

  • Alternative House, Inc. – Technology for Senior Volunteers Remote Mentoring
  • Budget Buddies, Inc. – Equal Access for Virtual Financial Empowerment Programs
  • Chelmsford Community Exchange – Freezer and Fridge replacement
  • Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) – Technology for Senior Volunteers Remote Mentoring
  • Dignity Matters, Inc. – Dignity in Lowell Schools underwear program
  • Life Connection Center, Inc. – Homeless Winter Outreach Project
  • Lowell Alliance – Lowell Diaper Bank
  • Lowell TeleMedia Center – COVID-safe audio/video production
  • Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless – Operation Liquid Gold 
  • Massachusetts Military Support Foundation – MMSF’s Food4Vets and Farmers to Families Programs
  • Nature Connection, Inc. – Interactive Virtual Nature Program 
  • St. Paul’s Soup Kitchen, Inc. – Personal protection equipment support

Donations to the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund can be made online at www.glcfoundation.org or by mail to the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund c/o GLCF, 100 Merrimack Street, Suite 202, Lowell, MA 01852. 

About Greater Lowell Community Foundation
The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF), founded in 1997, is a philanthropic organization comprised of over 350 funds, currently totaling over $40MM, dedicated to improving the quality of life in 20 neighboring cities and towns. The Community Foundation annually awards grants and scholarships to hundreds of worthy nonprofits and students. GLCF is powered by the winning combination of donor-directed giving, personal attention from its staff, and an in-depth understanding of local needs. Our donors’ generosity has enabled GLCF to award more than $20 million to the Greater Lowell community.