GLCF’s Women Working Wonders (WWW) Fund awards six grants totaling more than $56,000

The Women Working Wonders (WWW) Fund, a permanently endowed fund of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, has announced the recipients of $56,800 in grants. These grants will support local nonprofit programs that empower women and girls to effect positive change in the community.

“During this time of economic hardship and public health crisis, Women Working Wonders is proud to support these six organizations in their work to improve the lives of women and girls,” said Carolyn Gregoire, Women Working Wonders Fund board president. “Now more than ever, our philanthropy and attention are needed in the Greater Lowell community.”

Recipients of 2021 WWW grants include:

  • Budget Buddies: $10,000 for New Workshop for Women: Financial Health for Families with Children
  • Challenge Unlimited: $10,000 for Equine Encounter: Healing to Leadership for Girls and Women
  • Coalition for a Better Acre: $10,000 for Sewing Training Program
  • Girls Inc. of Greater Lowell: $10,000 for Leadership Academy
  • Refuge Lowell: $10,000 for Girls and Young Women Creating Community Through Public Art
  • International Institute of NE: $6,800 for Creating New Avenues for Success (CNAFS)

Girls Inc. of Greater Lowell received a grant for their Leadership Academy, a new initiative planned for rollout in Fall 2021. “Girls Inc. of Greater Lowell is a place where all girls have the opportunity, resources, and support to become and be leaders,” said Executive Director Ashley Filipp. “With the generous support of the Women Working Wonders Funds, Girls Inc. of Greater Lowell’s Leadership Academy will directly elevate the cognitive, social, and physical skills of girls to improve their leadership aptitude.  Girls will discover and develop their inherent strengths to grow up healthy, educated, and independent.”  

Budget Buddies received a $10,000 grant for New Workshop for Women: Financial Health for Families with Children from the Women Working Wonders Fund.

Budget Buddies will use their grant to fund the New Workshop for Women, a program that provides strategies to address real-life costs of raising children. “Budget Buddies is so thankful for this amazing support from Women Working Wonders to develop a new workshop for our financial-resilience programs specifically focused on building the financial health of families with children,” said Danielle Piskadlo, Executive Director of Budget Buddies. “Almost 70% of the women in our financial wellness programs are moms, and women with children have been disproportionately impacted by job and/or income loss due to the pandemic because a lack of childcare forced so many women out of the workforce. This support from WWW will allow Budget Buddies to focus the women in our programs on making financial planning a family activity.”  

Coalition for a Better Acre (CBA) Director of Programs, Cecilia Gutierrez Yapur (left) stands with master sewing instructor and Director of the UMass Lowell Fashion Makerspace/Fabric Discovery Center, Diana Coluntino (right), in front of sewing machines donated to CBA by Lowell textile manufacturer, UnWrapped, Inc.

Coalition for a Better Acre (CBA) received grant funding for their Sewing Training Program, a pilot program to be taught in English and Spanish, providing the job skills needed for local textile employment opportunities. “With support from Women Working Wonders, Coalition for a Better Acre (CBA) is eager to offer an accessible, highly flexible job skills training program to low-income women in Lowell, particularly non-native English speakers,” said CBA CEO Yun-Ju Choi. “CBA’s job skills training program benefits from a close partnership with master sewing instructor and fashion designer Diana Coluntino. After completing the training, participants will be placed in various jobs including textile manufacturing and fashion design production – right here in Lowell.”

Women Working Wonders provides annual grants in three key areas: assist women in transition, provide leadership development, as well as contribute to the beautification of the environment.

Founded in 2004 by a small group of women coming together to form a collective giving organization that focused on women’s issues, the fund has made more than $250,000 in grants to organizations supporting women and girls in the Greater Lowell area.

The Women Working Wonders Fund’s Power of the Purse 2021 event is scheduled for October 21. For information about WWW Fund and the upcoming event, visit: www.womenworkingwondersfund.com.

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. To learn more, visit: www.glcfoundation.org.

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