GLCF awards $208K in additional COVID-19 Response Grants to address Mental Health Needs

LOWELL – The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) announced it deployed a new round of COVID-19 related grants, providing an additional $208,750 to 13 nonprofits in Greater Lowell addressing mental health needs. These grants were part of the latest round of distributions from the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.

From left: Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell (CMAA) received a recent $20,000 grant for their program: Supporting Mental Health Among Cambodian Americans; Community Teamwork received a $20,000 grant to support The Rita O’Brien Dee Center for Behavioral Health and Development, team pictured at a recent dedication of the Center; Operation Delta Dog in Hollis, NH received a recent $15,000 grant to support a PTSD Veteran/Mentor Program. Pictured, Operation Delta Dog client Paul with Dobby.

Grants were determined through a competitive process with community members serving on the selection committee. GLCF solicited applications from nonprofits and local programs addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in Greater Lowell.

“GLCF received more than $600K in grant requests for this cycle – the needs are enormous as the community deals with the mental health implications of COVID-19,” said GLCF president & CEO Jay Linnehan. “We are grateful to our volunteer selection committee that used their collective expertise to review many worthy applications to make some hard decisions relating to grant funding.”

The 13 nonprofits receiving grants in the latest round of the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to address mental health needs are:

  • Adolescent Consultation Services (Cambridge) for Direct Mental Health Services for Court-Involved Children and their Families in Lowell – $15,000 
  • Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell for Youth Services – $20,000 
  • Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell (CMAA) for Supporting Mental Health Among Cambodian Americans – $20,000 
  • The Center for Hope and Healing for Providing Culturally-Competent, Inclusive & Gender-Responsive Mental Health Services for BIPOC Youth – $20,000 
  • Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) for Community Teamwork, Inc.’s Center for Behavioral Health and Development – $20,000 
  • Health Law Advocates for Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids in Lowell – $15,000 
  • Lowell Community Health Center for Teen BLOCK Teen Talk Program: Building Resilience among Vulnerable Lowell Youth – $20,000 
  • Lowell Council on Aging for Lowell Elder Mental Health Outreach Startup – $15,000 
  • Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) for MAPS Short-Term COVID Mental Health Initiative – $15,000 
  • Operation Delta Dog (Hollis, NH) for PTSD Veteran/Mentor Program in Greater Lowell – $15,000 
  • Rise Above Foundation for Activities for Lowell Area Youth in Foster Care – $15,000 
  • Wayside Youth & Family Support Network for Creating Capacity for Allyship – $15,000 
  • Westford Council on Aging for Mindfulness for Better Health and Mental Health – $3,750

Among the 13 grants funded, Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell (CMAA) received a recent $20,000 grant for their program: Supporting Mental Health Among Cambodian Americans. “We are grateful for the grant support from GLCF,” said Vichtcha Kong, Interim Executive Director, CMAA. “Cambodian immigrants and Cambodian American residents of Greater Lowell already cope with intergenerational trauma, so the isolation, stress, and disproportionate impact of the pandemic have had a significant impact within our community. This grant will help us by connecting and providing clinical interventions to support mental health.”

The $208,750 in grant funding includes significant funding from The Klarman Family Foundation who partnered with GLCF and other community foundations across Massachusetts to meet urgent community needs. GLCF continues to target pandemic-related community needs, especially after its recent survey of Greater Lowell nonprofits revealed that 100% of organizations had seen increased mental health challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many of these grants help to address two challenges the community faces: accessing mental health services and reducing the stigma for the need for these services, explained Jennifer Aradhya, GLCF’s Vice President of Marketing, Programs & Strategy.

Additionally, Operation Delta Dog in Hollis, NH, received a recent grant to support a PTSD Veteran/Mentor Program to combat isolation from the pandemic that has affected veterans significantly. “We are extremely grateful to have funding and support of Greater Lowell Community Foundation to help us continue supporting our veterans,” said Charlotte Troddyn, Executive Director, Operation Delta Dog. “The incorporation of a veteran mentor program will truly have a lasting impact on the mental health of our veteran community.”

Timing for this grant aligned perfectly for Community Teamwork. The organization received a $20,000 grant for the Rita O’Brien Dee Center for Behavioral Health and Development. “This grant could not have come at a better time, and we are so grateful to the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. This meets a critical need and addresses a significant public health issue – children’s mental and behavioral health,” said Karen Frederick, CEO, Community Teamwork. “Now more than ever, it is essential that parents, staff, and partners in our community working directly with children have the capacity, skills, and support to foster children’s healing and posttraumatic growth. The Rita O’Brien Dee Center for Behavioral Health and Development will be a resource for CTI and providers across the community.”  

Since March of 2019, through grants from the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund and the Massachusetts COVID Relief Fund, the foundation has supported more than 130 local nonprofit organizations with grants totaling over $4.8 million. 

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 $55 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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