GLCF awards more than $300K in additional COVID-19 Response Grants

Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) Lowell Office Manager and Immigrant Integration Caseworker Alessandra Fisher delivering emergency assistance to Lowell-area clients. MAPS received a recent grant from the Commonwealth COVID Grant Program through GLCF for COVID Rental & Utility Assistance Program in Lowell.

LOWELL – The Greater Lowell Community Foundation deployed a new round of COVID-19 related grants, providing an additional $306,287 to 18 area nonprofits through the Commonwealth COVID Grant Program and GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. 

“The Greater Lowell nonprofits funded in this latest phase of the COVID-19 Emergency Response grant cycle are dedicated to helping our community as so many continue to struggle during the pandemic,” said GLCF president & CEO Jay Linnehan. “We are grateful for their continued commitment to serving those in need.”

GLCF awarded $195,492 in grant funding in the latest round of the Commonwealth COVID Grant Program, made possible by the Baker-Polito Administration’s $10 million grant program for COVID-19 relief. The program is administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development through community foundations.

Among the 13 Commonwealth COVID Grants funded through GLCF, Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) received a grant for the MAPS COVID Rental & Utility Assistance Program in Lowell. “During this time of unprecedented challenges, we are so very thankful to be able to offer some much-needed financial relief to some of the most vulnerable individuals and families in Lowell,” said Paulo Pinto, MAPS Executive Director. “Thanks to the generosity of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, this grant will allow MAPS to support clients with rental and utility assistance, so they can focus on staying healthy and caring for their families.”

The 13 nonprofits receiving $195,492 in grant funding in the first round of the Commonwealth COVID Grant Program are:

  • Alternative House Inc.: Food and essential supplies
  • Central Food Ministry: Food, clothing, and essential supplies
  • Community Teamwork Inc.: Food and housing insecurity
  • Dignity Matters Inc.: Food and essential supplies in Lowell Schools
  • Health Law Advocates: Mental health advocacy program for kids in Lowell
  • Hope Dove Inc.: Essential Needs
  • Lowell Alliance: Food and essential infant supplies
  • Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers: Rental & Utility Assistance Program in Lowell
  • P.C.E.A. Neema Church: Basic/essential household needs
  • Project LEARN Inc.: STEAM enrichment kits for Lowell kids
  • St. Paul’s Soup Kitchen Inc.: Food project support
  • UTEC Inc.: Food program and food insecurity
  • Wish Project Inc.: Basic/essential household needs
The Incompass Human Services team at their Chelmsford location, Incompass received a GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund grant to fund PPE for COVID-facing direct support and nursing staff

Additionally, GLCF distributed a round of support from the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. Of the five recent grants from the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, Incompass Human Services received a grant for PPE for COVID-facing direct support and nursing staff. “The people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families who receive critical services and supports from Incompass Human Services rely on the dedication of our Care Champions, all of whom have been working tirelessly in our community throughout the pandemic,” said Jean Phelps, CEO, Incompass Human Services. “As a nonprofit, we largely rely on support from the community to help the people we serve live their best lives through day habilitation, family support, community services, and housing placement. And that’s why we are beyond grateful to receive a COVID Relief Grant from the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, as it will help us continue to fund the testing, PPE, and all of our infection control procedures that we put in place during the pandemic.”

The five nonprofits receiving $110,795 in grants in the latest round of the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund are:

  • Discovery Museum Inc.: Sanitation and PPE
    • Incompass Human Services: PPE for direct support and nursing staff
    • Lowell Community Health Center: Enhanced communication for vaccinations and health equity
    • Roudenbush Community Center: Sanitation equipment and mental health support training
    • THRIVE Communities of Massachusetts: COVID-19 transportation support

Since March 2020, through grants from its GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, Massachusetts COVID Relief Fund, and Commonwealth COVID Grant Program, the foundation has supported 125 local nonprofit organizations with 283 grants totaling over $3.9 million.

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

Established in 1997, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) is a philanthropic organization comprised of more than 390 funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns. With financial assets of more than $50 million, GLCF annually awards grants and scholarships to hundreds of worthy nonprofits and students. It is powered by the winning combination of donor-directed giving, personal attention from Foundation staff, and an in-depth understanding of local needs. The generosity of our donors has enabled the Community Foundation to award more than $25 million to the Greater Lowell community.

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