GLCF awards $150K in additional 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 $150,000 to seven 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.
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 $700K 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 seven nonprofits receiving grants to address mental health needs are:
- Adolescent Consultation Services (Cambridge) for Direct Mental Health Services for Court-Involved Children in Greater Lowell – $25,000
- Alternative House (Lowell) for Support for Child Survivors – $15,000
- Boys & Girls Club of Greater Billerica for Club Social Worker – $50,000
- International Institute of New England (Lowell) for Lowell Refugee Youth Mental Health Initiative – $30,000
- ThinkGive (Concord) for SEL program expansion to five Greater Lowell sites serving under-resourced youth in 2022–2023 – $5,000
- UTEC (Lowell) for Improving mental health for proven-risk adolescents – $20,000
- Westford Health Department for applying under the shared grant service NorthWest Coalition (Lowell, Westford, Acton, and Dracut) Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings – $15,000
Among the grants funded, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Billerica received a grant to support a club social worker. “Mental Health is often overlooked, young people, today, more than ever, are facing pressures, stress and other mental health issues, post pandemic,” said Michelle Vichot, CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Billerica for Club Social Worker. “We are so grateful to GLCF for their impactful generosity as we work on this critical issue together.”
Additionally, International Institute of New England received a recent $30,000 grant for their program: Lowell Refugee Youth Mental Health Initiative. “IINE has special programming for refugee youth and this grant support of our Lowell Refugee Youth Mental Health Initiative will allow us to add new strategies and resources to better support their healing from experiences of forced migration and other early traumas,” said Alexandra Weber, LICSW, Senior Vice President, International Institute of New England. “GLCF’s support will allow us to better educate staff, youth, and parents on risk and protective factors to promote youth emotional well-being.”
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 140 local nonprofit organizations with grants totaling over $7 million.
About Greater Lowell Community Foundation
Established in 1997, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) is a philanthropic organization comprised of more than 400 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 $35 million to the Greater Lowell community.
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Mosaic Lowell – Plan Release and Barr Foundation Announcement
Lowell, MA – Members of Lowell’s arts and cultural community, gathered today to celebrate the launch of the much-anticipated creative economy plan, Mosaic Lowell. The event, held in the Hall of Flags at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, marked the completion of a two-year planning process that focused on extensive community engagement and public outreach. The event also announced a $1M commitment from the Barr Foundation to support the plan’s implementation.
The Barr Foundation was the premiere sponsor of the planning initiative, and their additional support helps ensure that the implementation phase is off to a running start.
San San Wong, Director of Arts and Culture for the Barr Foundation, said: “At Barr, we believe that arts and creativity are essential for vibrant, vital, and engaged communities. I particularly love the Mosaic principle of DREAM BIG! Lowell has a plethora of dreamers. And, importantly, Lowell has many leaders committed to making those dreams a reality. So, to support this next phase in your journey, we’re pleased to announce a grant of $1 million to support the initial three years of Mosaic Lowell.”
Jay Linnehan, President and CEO of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, which serves as the fiscal sponsor of Mosaic Lowell, added, “This plan can transform Lowell’s cultural economy and help elevate the City as a vibrant destination for many, both near and far.”
Mosaic Lowell came about through the collaboration of stakeholders working to enhance the quality of life in Lowell through arts, culture, and creative endeavors. It’s an initiative that brings together diverse individuals, neighborhoods, artists, and creative businesses to enliven Lowell as a place to live, work and visit. The planning efforts were led by a Steering Committee chaired by Howard Amidon of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, Latifah Philips of the Lowell Public Schools, and Allison Lamey of the Lowell Plan & the Lowell Development and Financial Corporation.
Attendees at Thursday’s event were treated to performances by Angkor Dance Troupe and the Afro Percussionists from Lowell Community Public Charter School and were served food from a cross-section of Lowell’s diverse eateries.
Angela Ales, a member of the Mosaic Lowell Steering Committee and a local artist and faculty member at Middlesex Community College, spoke during the event. “There is definitely a lot to like about Lowell, and Mosaic has been and will be the fundamental force of Lowell’s renaissance. Lowell is becoming a destination. We are attracting new audiences due to our many cultural, creative, and artistic organizations, not just because of our wonderful Folk Fest and our Industrial Revolution history. As an artist myself, I am prospering from this new visibility. It is part of Mosaic’s mission, to position arts, culture, and the creative economy as core elements of Lowell’s strategic master planning for the future.”
The final plan is available online at www.mosaiclowell.org. Individuals interested in participating in the implementation of the plan are encouraged to connect with the Mosaic Lowell team online or via social media.
About Mosaic Lowell — Mosaic Lowell is a arts, cultural and creative economy plan for the City of Lowell. Lowell is a community of vibrant and diverse cultures, arts, and commerce. Throughout this captivating historical City, one can savor contemporary and classical cuisines and cultures of the world and experience a wide variety of art, dance, theater, music, and spoken word.
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Whistler House Arts Fund
Support public arts programs sponsored by the Lowell Arts Association and the Whistler House Museum of Art.
Kathryn Stoklosa Knowledge Bowl Fund
The fund was established to support the operations of the Kathryn Stoklosa Knowledge Bowl, an academic competition among middle school students to advance educational excellence, scholarship and community service.
