The Dolan and Regan Family Legacies Pay It Forward for Local Students

Lowell, MA – Since 2007, the Dolan and Regan Families have been involved with the Lowell High School Scholarship Program with The Alice Dolan Murphy Scholarship Fund and The Joseph M. Regan Memorial Scholarship Fund. Collectively they have given out over $13,000 in scholarships to 26 students through the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF.)

The scholarship program is made possible by a partnership between Lowell High School and the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. Scholarships are provided through the generous contributions of donors, many of whom are Lowell High School graduates themselves, families honoring a loved one, or local business leaders supporting their community.

The Dolan Family has presented their scholarship since 2007, and the Regan family has presented their scholarship since 2017. Joe and Kathy Regan have also served with GLCF as scholarship application reviewers for the Lowell High Scholarship program for eight years.

The Alice Dolan Murphy Scholarship was established for a nursing student at a four-year college. Wanting to meaningfully honor their mother’s life and career as a nurse, the Dolan Family—eight siblings and their spouses—came together to create her lasting tribute in 2007.

Daughter Mary Dolan Regan ‘77, said her ‘Mother would be happy to be honored in this way. She would be grateful that someone was getting a chance to get an education and this scholarship is helpful.’

Committed to her community through family, faith, friends and work and a lifelong resident of Lowell’s Centralville neighborhood, Alice, was a graduate of Lowell High (1940) and the St. John’s Nursing School (1943.) She spent her career as a Registered Nurse at the Beaconcrest Chronic Hospital in Lowell alongside dear friend and nurse Claire Murphy. Claire and Dan Murphy and Alice and her husband James were inseparable friends. After James died in 1962 and Claire’s passing in 1989, Alice and Dan found companionship, love and marriage with each other later in life.

‘My mother was all about putting the needs of others first. Being there for her family and friends no matter what,’ said son Jack Dolan, who worked as the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer at Lowell High when then Head of School Bill Samaras was ‘coordinating’ the nascent LHS scholarship program of $75,000 now valued at $7 million.

The Joseph M. Regan Memorial Scholarship Fund is designed for students pursuing STEM-related studies in science, math and/or technology. Joe graduated in 1939 from Lowell High and earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Boston College in 1942. He was a U.S. Navy World War II veteran serving four years in the South Pacific. He started teaching Math and Latin at Keith Academy (1946-1952), followed by a 30-year career at Lowell High School as a mentor, math teacher, Floor Master and Dean of Faculty from 1952 to 1981, when his life was cut short by lung cancer.

‘My dad was very humble, open-minded, and eschewed fanfare. When it came to his students, he would go the extra mile to support and encourage them through their challenges with the caveat that they had to show up for class,’ said daughter Kathy Regan ’76.

Kathy noted her dad would be humbled by this scholarship and would advise awardees to – ‘Use it wisely. Put it to good use.’

Dottie Naruszewicz Flanagan ’59, an officer of the Math Club, had Mr. Regan as an advisor as well as a teacher. ‘What a super, wonderful guy. Gentle and kind. He had the interest of the kids at heart.’

‘Keeping the memory of our father alive by this scholarship is rewarding to see all the bright, promising recipients on LHS Scholarship Night. It really renews our faith in the community and the world!’ said son Joe Regan ’74 and husband of Mary Dolan Regan.

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) provides opportunities to create a fund to establish your own charitable legacy. To learn more about funds at GLCF, contact Jay Linnehan or to learn more about creating your own LHS Legacy Scholarship contact Barbara Dunsford at 978-970-1600 or info@glcfoundation.org.

About Greater Lowell Community Foundation –Established in 1997, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) is a philanthropic organization comprised of more than 450 funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns. With financial assets of nearly $65 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 $40 million to the Greater Lowell community.

###

PHOTO 1: Photo of Alice Dolan Murphy, RN. The Alice Dolan Murphy Scholarship was established through GLCF for a Lowell High School student pursuing a nursing degree at a four-year college.

PHOTO 2: Photo of Kathleen and Joseph Regan from the LHS Girl Officers Ball. The Joseph M. Regan Memorial Scholarship Fund is designed for students pursuing STEM-related studies in science, math and/or technology.

Greater Lowell Community Foundation endows LGBTQ+ Fund through Brunch Fundraiser

Lowell, MA – The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) hosted a successful LGBTQ+ Fund Brunch on Saturday, June 15, raising more than $130,000 for its endowed LGBTQ Fund through tickets, donations, and sponsorships. Over 100 attendees gathered at Cobblestones in Lowell to support this initiative to improve the quality of life for the LGBTQ community in Greater Lowell.

The brunch featured a DJ and delicious food, creating a celebratory atmosphere for this event in GLCF’s core commitment to diversity and inclusion. The event featured notable speakers, including fund cofounders Julie Chen, Chancellor of UMass Lowell, and her spouse, Susu Wong, owner of Tomo360. History UnErased founder Deb Fowler also spoke about the history of Pride Month and the importance of this endowment fund for the LGBTQ community.

“This fund is vital to not only ensure hard-fought and hard-won extensions of liberty for the LGBTQ+ community to remain secure in Greater Lowell but also to continue to advance and ensure lived equality for all,” shared History UnErased founder Deb Fowler.

In honor of PRIDE month, GLCF’s President and CEO Jay Linnehan, alongside VP Jennifer Aradhya, presented History UnErased with a $5,000 grant that will be used to partner with five schools in GLCF’s catchment area. The first grant from GLCF’s LGBTQ Fund will be awarded in Spring 2025.

“This endowed fund will support nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life for the LGBTQ community in Greater Lowell – forever,” said Jennifer Aradhya, GLCF’s Marketing, Programs and Strategy. “We’re thrilled to announce that GLCF will include this new grant focus area in our 2025 Discretionary Cycle next spring.”

“We were delighted to have the generosity of the Saab family that matched GLCF’s and Julie and Susu’s initial contribution. This helped us tremendously in reaching our goal,” said GLCF’s CEO and President Jay Linnehan. “The sponsorship and support of this important fund helps to ensure everyone in our community can live their lives with equity and dignity.”

The GLCF’s LGBTQ+ Fund is an endowed fund established in June 2023 to provide a source of annual funds to support nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life for the LGBTQ+ in Greater Lowell by providing legal, health, education, advocacy, or other high-demand services/programs.

For more information about the LGBTQ Fund or to donate, please visit:  https://glcfoundation.info/3Bd8Dzn

About Greater Lowell Community Foundation –Established in 1997, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) is a philanthropic organization comprised of more than 450 funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns. With financial assets of nearly $65 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 $40 million to the Greater Lowell community.

###

CAPTION: Members of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, History UnErased, the Saab Family Foundation stand together for a photo during the GLCF LGBTQ+ fund benefit brunch inside Cobblestones Restaurant in Lowell on June 15, 2024. Front row, from left: Fatima Al-Muntafik and Triana Wilson from History UnErased, UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen, History UnErased founder Deb Fowler, GLCF Vice President Jennifer Aradhya, Susu Wong, Elisia Saab, Mark Saab, and Alana Saab. Back row, from left: Chris Marino and Danny Roberts from History UnErased, and GLCF President Jay Linnehan.

Bringing Fresh Produce to Homeless Families & Individuals in Greater Lowell

by Kathy Register

Lowell, MA – Two local nonprofits – Community Teamwork Inc. and Mill City Grows – have teamed up to bring fresh produce to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) facilitated the project by partnering with a state-directed program to allocate federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to nonprofit organizations addressing food insecurity in the region.

In partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD), GLCF administered the CARES Act Community Development Block Grant Food Security Program throughout Greater Lowell, explained Jay Linnehan, GLCF President and CEO.

“Through this state program, the Foundation has been able to direct federal funds to support low- to moderate-income households in our service area who are facing food insecurities as a result of COVID-19,” Linnehan said. “Our goal was to partner with nonprofits in our region who provide services to individuals and households living below 80 percent of the applicable area median income,” he added.

Last winter, thanks to this Food Security Program funding, Community Teamwork Inc. (CTI) launched a pilot program with the urban farm program Mill City Grows, to deliver Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares to 28 families living in CTI’s family shelter in Tewksbury, according to Amy F. Weatherbee, CTI’s Director of Planning & Quality Improvement.

“We established this program to bring fresh, healthy food to our clients who are experiencing homelessness,” explained Weatherbee. “And we are also supporting Mill City Grows, which has a mission to expand distribution of its locally grown food to residents who need it.”

A Lowell nonprofit, Mill City Grows encourages food justice by improving physical health, economic independence, and environmental sustainability through increased access to land, locally-grown food, and education, according to Co-Executive Director Courtney McSparron.

“Our main farm is located in Lowell, and we predominantly serve Lowell,” said McSparron. “However, we had recently expanded our CSA deliveries to Dracut, Tyngsborough and Tewksbury. So, when CTI called, it was perfect.

“This partnership enables us to deliver a lot of produce to one site – it’s ideal and furthers our mission to get more people fresh food,” she added.

The Tewksbury family shelter is run by Bela Arruda, CTI’s Rehousing & Stabilization Services Manager. She estimates that some 80 individuals — adults and children – enjoyed Mill City Grows’ produce last winter.

“Our families loved it,” said Arruda. “We delivered CSAs every two weeks and they were so thankful. Fresh produce can be very expensive to buy.”

Another thing the families enjoyed was learning about the different vegetables and fruits they received in the CSAs, she said. Mill City Grows included information about the produce delivered, along with recipes and suggestions about how to prepare it. 

“Cooking and eating together – and learning about new foods – can be a bonding experience for these families, who can be experiencing difficult and stressful situations,” Arruda added.

The winter CSA pilot program was so successful, according to Weatherbee, that CTI applied for and received more funding to continue serving families through the summer, as well as to expand the program to individuals.

Beginning in June, Mill City Grows began delivering CSAs to individuals living in CTI’s newly opened Summer Street shelter in Lowell, which provides permanent housing for 19 previously chronically unsheltered individuals.

“Serving our Tewksbury shelter and Summer Street with CSAs made sense, because these families and individuals have kitchenettes in their units and can cook and eat together, as well as store fresh produce,” said Sean Wilson, CTI’s Deputy Division Director of Family Homeless Services, Housing & Homeless Service Department.

According to McSparron at Mill City Grows, a very high percentage of what the families and individuals receive in their CSAs is grown close by. “This is very good, very fresh produce – grown without pesticides or herbicides – which is not traveling very far to get to them.” And Mill City Grows raises culturally sensitive crops, as much as possible, she added.

“We’re always changing what we grow, based on what the community asks for. We have a large Southeast Asian population here in Lowell, and a growing African community. We work closely with our farmers to grow specialty produce – like water spinach, bitter melon and different types of eggplants – that these populations like.

“James Tierney, our CSA Manager, has really made this program successful. He’s very responsive to participants’ feedback. We’re very hopeful this partnership continues,” said McSparron. “These are the families we want to serve.”

Community Teamwork Inc. is also happy with the arrangement, added Wilson. “CTI is serving some of the most vulnerable and food-insecure clients in the Commonwealth,” he said. “This program was an opportunity to try something new, to bring fresh produce to families experiencing homelessness.

“And this program also helps promote feelings of self-sufficiency in these families. We want them to leave our shelter feeling confident that they can handle new and different situations.”

For more information about the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, visit: www.glcfoundation.org

About Greater Lowell Community Foundation –Established in 1997, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) is a philanthropic organization comprised of more than 450 funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns. With financial assets of nearly $65 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 $40 million to the Greater Lowell community.

###

CAPTION: Mill City Grows CSA Farm Shares go out for delivery with CSA Manager James Tierney (left) and CSA Delivery Driver Loubna Belamar (right).

Greater Lowell Community Foundation announces more than $235K in grants to local nonprofits at Annual Meeting

Lowell, MA – On Tuesday, June 11, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation hosted its annual meeting at UMass Lowell’s Coburn Hall. A record $237,230 in grant funding was awarded to 23 nonprofits serving Greater Lowell in the funding focus areas of Children’s Services, Elder Services, and Racial Equity and Inclusion.

These grant awards are part of a competitive grant process in which nonprofit organizations apply for funds, and independent committees review the proposals and select awardees. The GLCF Discretionary Grants is one of several competitive grant programs offered through the foundation each year. 

“These grants were made possible by generous donations from our community and strategic investments,” said GLCF President and CEO Jay Linnehan. “The 2024 GLCF Discretionary Grant Cycle is the largest distribution to date – it’s indicative of so much of what we do at the Foundation. It is a key part of our being.” 

Children’s Services Grants

  • Aaron’s Presents: More Aaron’s Presents Youth in Lowell – $6,730
  • Adolescent Consultation Services: Direct Mental Health Services for Court-Involved Children in Greater Lowell – $10,000
  • The Bike Connector, Inc.: Keeping Kids Safe – Bike Helmets for Bike Rodeos, National Night Out, and Holiday Bike Giveaway – $2,000
  • Dignity Matters, Inc.: Dignity for Greater Lowell Teens -$10,000
  • Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust: Environmental Youth Task Force (EYTF) -$9,000
  • Lowell Youth Leadership Program Inc.: Lowell Youth Leadership Program 2024 Summer Camp – $10,000
  • Project Kompass, Inc.: Housing for Young Women and their Children – $10,000
  • Raising A Reader (RAR-MA Inc.): RAR-MA Lowell: Early Literacy Resources and Family Engagement – $7,500

Elder Services Grants

  • Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI): RSVP Bone Builders Increased Capacity and Expansion Project – $7,000
  • Good Pickin Farm: Senior Summer Camp Day and Pick Two Summer Friday Concerts – $7,000
  • Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts, Inc.: Affordable Home Repairs for Seniors Aging in Place – $7,000
  • Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell: Critical home repairs for seniors – $7,000
  • Open Pantry of Greater Lowell: Food Pantry – $7,000
  • Open Table, Inc.: Addressing Food Insecurity in Seniors Via Pantry, Mobile, And Meal Programs – $7,000

Racial Equity and Inclusion Grants

  • MRT: Amplifying Asian American Pacific Islander Theatre Artists: WHAT YOU ARE NOW by Sam Chanse – $15,000
  • Project Citizenship: Citizenship for an Equitable Future – $15,000
  • THRIVE Communities of Mass: Greater Lowell Circle Keeper Initiative – $15,000
  • Kids in Tech, Inc.: After-School Tech Clubs for Greater Lowell – $15,000
  • Merrimack Valley Housing: Expanding Affordable Homeownership Opportunities for Local Residents – $15,000
  • CMAA: Remembering The Killing Fields, Celebrating Our Survivors’ Resiliency – $15,000
  • NMCOG: At Home in Greater Lowell: Regional Housing Strategy Plan – $15,000
  • One Can Help Inc.: Providing missing and urgently needed resources to at-risk and foster children in Lowell – $15,000
  • YWCA of Lowell: Restorative Justice Art Project – $10,000

2024 Discretionary Grant Recommendations Total: $237,230

“Good work happens every day in our community through the efforts of dedicated and talented staff and volunteers of nonprofit organizations, and we are happy to support that work,” said Jennifer Aradhya, GLCF’s VP of Marketing, Programs and Strategy. “These grants are another example of GLCF addressing important needs in our community with the support of our community partners and generous donors.”

Applications are currently being accepted until June 20 through the Women Working Wonders Fund for programs/projects that impact the lives of women and girls while advancing an organization’s mission. For more information on the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, visit www.glcfoundation.org. 

About Greater Lowell Community Foundation –Established in 1997, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) is a philanthropic organization comprised of more than 450 funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns. With financial assets of nearly $65 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 $40 million to the Greater Lowell community.

###

CAPTION: Grant recipients gathered at GLCF’s Annual Meeting on June 11. More than $235,000 in competitive grants were awarded to 23 local nonprofits.

A notice to all Members of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation

A notice to all Members of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation.

You are hereby notified that the Annual Meeting of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation is scheduled for June 11, 2024, at 6:00 PM at Coburn Hall, UMass Lowell, 850 Broadway St, Lowell, MA 01854.

The Governance and Personnel Committee nominates the following individuals to fill two vacancies on the Board of Directors:

  1. David Daly

The Governance and Personnel Committee also nominates the following individuals for a one-year term extension on the Board of Directors:

  1. Andrea Batchelder
  2. Susanne Beaton
  3. Dorothy Chen-Courtin
  4. Yun-Ju Choi
  5. Charles Comtois
  6. Stephanie Cronin
  7. Daniel Donahue
  8. Karen Frederick
  9. Eric Healy
  10. Ben James
  11. Michael King
  12. Andrew Macey
  13. Patti Mason
  14. Glenn Mello
  15. Diana Nguyen
  16. Shiela Och
  17. JuanCarlos Rivera
  18. Brian Stafford
  19. Jay Stephens
  20. Chet Szablak

END OF NOTICE

NETSCOUT Awards $15K in Community Grants with Greater Lowell Community Foundation

LOWELL, Mass. – The Greater Lowell Community Foundation, a philanthropic organization comprised of over 400 funds, currently totaling over $65 million, dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns, announced that NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC., (NASDAQ: NTCT), whose unique visibility platform and solutions are used to protect the connected world from cyberattacks and disruptions in performance and availability,, has awarded its Heart of Giving community program’s $15,000 grant program through the Greater Lowell Community Foundation to recipients: Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, OARS (Concord) and Strongwater Farm (Tewksbury.)

Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust received a $10,000 grant. The organization’s mission is to improve the quality of life for the people of Lowell through education and through the creation, conservation and preservation of parks, open spaces and special places. The grant funding will be used to support the Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary project, a partnership between Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, Mass Audubon, and Mill City Grows, in collaboration with the City of Lowell.

“The Lowell Parks & Conservation is grateful to NETSCOUT for their support of Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary,” said Jane Calvin, Executive Director of LP&CT. “This grant award will support our collaboration with Mass Audubon and Mill City Grows to help us open the property to the public, support the building of accessible trails and habitat restoration, and ensure that our community has access to fresh, healthy food.”

This annual grant partnership builds relationships between NETSCOUT and Greater Lowell nonprofit organizations and engages employees in learning about the community needs. The additional $5,000 in grant funding was distributed to OARS and Strongwater Farm.

“Connecting philanthropic businesses and individuals to the needs of their communities is at the heart of GLCF’s work. GLCF is proud to be in the 10th year of the NETSCOUT Heart of Giving Community Grant partnership,” said Jay Linnehan, president and CEO, Greater Lowell Community Foundation. “We are grateful for NETSCOUT’s continued commitment to supporting local nonprofits and addressing needs in our community.”

“Congratulations to these three organizations who are addressing the long-term issue of preserving and sharing our local natural resources. We look forward to volunteering to support the Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary,” said Michael Szabados, chief operating officer at NETSCOUT. “Our Heart of Giving community grant program is a unique way to empower employees to take action to address important community issues, and we are pleased to reach the milestone of our tenth year in partnership with GLCF.”

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 $65 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 GLCF to award more than $35 million to the Greater Lowell community.

###

Caption: Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust (LP&CT) received a recent $10,000 grant from NETSCOUT’s Heart of Giving community program. From l-r: NETSCOUT’s Kim Hampson, Mill City Grows’ Courtney McSparron and LP&CT’s Jane Calvin with GLCF’s president and CEO Jay Linnehan at the Heart of Giving pitch presentation at NETSCOUT in Westford.

Women Working Wonders Fund Seeks Request for Proposals for 2024 Grant Cycle

Lowell, Mass. – The Women Working Wonders Fund (WWWF), a permanently endowed fund of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, requests proposals for this year’s grant cycle that opens on May 20. The Women Working Wonders Fund will award five (5) grants of up to $10,000 each to programs/projects that impact the lives of women and girls while advancing an organization’s mission.

WWWF provides annual grants in three key areas: assisting women in transition, providing leadership development for women and girls, and contributing to the beautification of the environment benefitting women and girls. Started in 2004 by a group of 72 women who each gave $500, the WWW Fund has now grown to more than $1.5 million. Since its inception, WWWF has distributed grants totaling over $444,000, creating positive change in countless lives in Greater Lowell.

To apply for the Women Working Wonders Fund grant, visit www.glcfoundation.org. The deadline to apply is Thursday, June 20, 2024, at noon. For more information on the Women Working Wonders Fund, visit womenworkingwondersfund.com or contact womenworkingwondersfund@gmail.com.

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 almost $60 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.

###

Caption: Mill City Grows received a 2023 $10,000 Women Working Wonders Fund grant for their Merrimack Valley Growers’ Aid (MVGA) program. This program will provide access to land, training, and technical assistance to 12 growers who identify as women. Seona Ban Ngufor, a MVGA woman farmer, at the Lowell Farmers’ Market.

Greater Lowell Community Foundation hosts Groton Event

Groton, MA – On Thursday, April 25, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) hosted its first Meet GLCF event at the Groton Inn where local attendees were introduced to the number of ways GLCF supports neighboring towns in the Greater Lowell area. At this event, GLCF awarded funding in support of the 2024 Groton Greenway River Festival set for Sunday, June 9. GLCF is the Presenting Sponsor for this year’s festival.

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 almost $60 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 GLCF to award more than $35 million to the Greater Lowell community.

CAPTION: The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) held a Meet GLCF event on Thursday, April 25 at the Groton Inn. GLCF is Presenting Sponsor for the 2024 Groton Greenway River Festival set for Sunday, June 9. From left: Groton residents Chris and Kirsta Davey, Groton Greenway River Festival committee member David Pitkin, Founder and first president of the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) and activist Marion Stoddart, NRWA’s Water Programs Director Martha Morgan, GLCF’s VP Jennifer Aradhya and NRWA’s Executive Director Jennifer Keegan.

MacLaughlan Scholarship Creates an Educational Legacy at GLCF

Lowell, MA – Strong family values – especially education – are underlying factors in the newly created Prof. John J. and Marian MacLaughlan Scholarship Fund. The legacy fund was established at the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) in their honor by their children John, Kevin, Jim, Betsy, and Dave.

If you tallied the years of the MacLaughlan family’s classroom teaching and student guidance, it would be well over 200 years of service in the Greater Lowell educational institutions of Lowell Textile School (now UMass Lowell), Lowell High, Chelmsford High, Greater Lowell Technical High and the Immaculate Conception School.

Three generations of MacLaughlans caught the educational bug with all family members becoming college graduates from the Lowell Normal School, Holy Cross, Boston College, Boston University, Mount Wachusett Community College, Northern Essex Community College, Salem State and Merrimack College. The next generation of the MacLaughlan clan followed suit with 12 nieces and nephews all becoming college graduates in the fields of education, law, finance, accounting, business, and law enforcement to name a few. 

“My college education in business administration was completed in five years for $1,000 at $100 per semester,” shared Jim MacLaughlin, LHS’ Class of 1962, who taught at Lowell High and saw first-hand how financial aid did not cover college costs. “Today’s students work hard to maintain a GPA and a scholarship like our parents’ can lighten the financial burden of what school will cost them. My parents gave us the opportunity to become who we are today. They would hope this scholarship does the same for the awardee.”

Sports run deep in the MacLaughlan family. Dad John ’27 was a member at Longmeadow Country Club; John ’57 was golf captain at Merrimack College and the golf coach at Chelmsford High; Dave was Athletic Director at the ‘Voke,’ and is still coaching baseball; Kevin played Lowell State College baseball, and Jim played college baseball at Salem State and is a member of Longmeadow.

Betsy MacLaughlan Shanley ’64 graduated from Castleton Secretarial School, became an executive secretary and continues to play tennis. She believes her parents would be so pleased and humbled by this scholarship, “Mom and Dad would encourage the student to use it wisely.” Betsy’s sons Tom ’90 and Andrew ’91 received Lowell High scholarships. 

These family values shaped the Professor John J. and Marian MacLaughlan Scholarship which will focus on financial need and sports. The first scholarship will be awarded at the Lowell High School Honors Night on Tuesday, May 21.

GLCF provides opportunities to create a fund to establish your own charitable legacy. To learn more about funds at GLCF, contact Jay Linnehan or to learn more about creating your own LHS Legacy Scholarship contact Barbara Dunsford at 978-970-1600 or info@glcfoundation.org.

###

PHOTO CAPTION: Marian and Professor John MacLaughlan, front row, and in the back row: sons Jim and Dave MacLaughlan. The MacLaughlan Family recently established an LHS Legacy Scholarship through the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. (Courtesy photo from June 30, 1988)

Strengthening Mental Health Support for Children & Adolescents in Greater Lowell

By Kathy Register

Lowell, Mass. – Responding to a growing awareness of how the pandemic has impacted the mental and emotional health of children and adolescents, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) awarded grants to help three nonprofits improve mental-health services for local youth. With the grant funding, each organization addressed the need with a unique approach.

ThinkGive was able to teach crucial social and emotional learning skills to more under-resourced children and adolescents. The International Institute of New England (IINE) strengthened the mental-health support it offers teen-aged refugees. And Adolescent Consultation Services (ACS) expanded the mental-health services it provides directly to court-involved children in Greater Lowell. All three nonprofits have noticed an increased need for their services since COVID-19 hit.

“The pandemic really put social and emotional learning (SEL) on people’s radar,” said ThinkGive Executive Director Penny Austen. “Social and emotional learning is how kids acquire the skills to develop a healthy identity, manage their emotions, maintain relationships, and make responsible decisions. It’s a fundamental layer of child development,” she explained.

“Before COVID, many considered SEL a soft skill. Now, with the youth mental-health crises we’re seeing as a result of the pandemic, the importance of social and emotional learning is magnified,” said Austen. 

“Greater Lowell Community Foundation is proud to support these three local partners who are focusing their services on the mental health of our youngest friends and neighbors,” said GLCF President & CEO Jay Linnehan. “At the end of 2022, we were able to support seven nonprofits in Greater Lowell that were addressing mental-health needs, and we are now seeing some encouraging results from this funding.”

ThinkGive, a 10-year-old nonprofit based in Concord, has developed a curriculum for teaching social and emotional learning (SEL) to children in grades K-8, Austen explained. The free curriculum is taught in public and private schools, and after-school and weekend programs in Acton, Billerica, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord and Lowell.

“Knowing how to form and maintain healthy relationships with others is key,” she said. “And SEL skills carry on through our entire lives – through high school, college, in the workplace, and into our family lives.”

Thanks to the GLCF grant, ThinkGive was able to expand its reach by working with educators to implement its research-based curriculum in five new schools and organizations, engaging 360 under-resourced youth.

The International Institute of New England (IINE), a regional refugee resettlement agency, applied for a GLCF grant in 2022 after resettling 236 Afghan evacuees in Lowell, according to Caroline Hanson Rowe, Lowell Managing Director.

“Among this group, we were aware of individuals suffering from PTSD, many had missing family members back in Afghanistan, some arrived without their parents,” she said. “Foremost in our minds was the fact that all these special circumstances can be especially traumatic for young people.”

When IINE began having trouble partnering clients with local mental-health providers – there were not enough providers to meet the need, thanks in part to the pandemic – Rowe and her staff began exploring ways to build community to support the young refugees.

“We set about creating places where this cohort – most were ages 15 to 25 – could go for support,” she said. IINE initially focused on organizing group physical activities.

Staff started giving yoga classes, which were a big hit, according to Rowe. They also offered soccer clinics, and even started a swimming program for young women and girls, which was wildly successful.

“We partnered with the Merrimack College women’s swim team,” explained Rowe, herself a former college swimmer. “And we focused on our female Afghan clients – many had not even been swimming before. We arranged a ‘closed’ pool: covered windows, all-female lifeguards. It was a female-only environment.”

IINE also held training sessions and workshops for parents and teens on relaxation and how to de-stress, on health and hygiene, career planning, and domestic violence (for the young women).

More than a year later, things are looking up, said Rowe. “We now have a strong youth community and it’s growing. Our groups don’t fit into the spaces they used to.”

Adolescent Consultation Services (ACS) and its staff of licensed social workers, mental-health counselors, and psychologists, provide diagnostic evaluations and direct mental-health services for juveniles involved with Middlesex County courts, according to Robyn Eastwood, Director of Development.

“When a child appears in front of a judge – often it’s for not going to school – the judge can order diagnostic evaluations. We interview children, families, schools, etc. and write up a report for the judge,” she explained.

Founded in 1973, ACS mainly serves youth ages 12 to 18. Over the years, the nonprofit has expanded its services. “We have been branching out to provide more treatment services, such as individual and group therapy,” said Eastwood.

“The need is so great and there are not enough mental-health providers. Sometimes we see kids who need specific types of services and the wait to receive them can be up to a year. But we can start therapy right away in most cases. And our services are free,” she said.

“Our goal is to support and empower court-involved children by providing mental-health services. We want to help kids envision and work toward a better future.”

Through its GLCF grant, ACS worked closely with Lowell Juvenile Court and was able to provide services to more than 90 court-involved youth in Greater Lowell in FY2023. And Eastwood agrees the pandemic is affecting their clients.

“It’s still unfolding, but the pandemic contributes to just about every case, in some way. The acuity of cases has increased, and it has affected the whole family,” she added. “Thankfully, this GLCF grant allowed ACS to increase our private treatment program.”

“Funding for this critical need became a priority for the foundation when we heard from so many of our nonprofit partners about how months of social isolation and prolonged lack of in-school instruction set many kids back at crucial times in their emotional and mental development,” explained Jennifer Aradhya, GLCF’s Vice President of Marketing, Programs & Strategy. “We continue to look at this need for future funding opportunities.”

For further information about the Greater Lowell Community Foundation and its grant-funding opportunities, visit: www.glcfoundation.org

###


TOP PHOTO CAPTION:   Greater Lowell Community Foundation awarded grants to help three nonprofits improve mental-health services for local youth, including International Institute of New England (IINE) which provided programs to teen and young adult females that focused on organizing group physical activities including yoga classes.

BOTTOM PHOTO CAPTION:  Greater Lowell Community Foundation awarded grants to help three nonprofits improve mental-health services for local youth, including ThinkGive that provided social and emotional learning (SEL) after-school and weekend programs in Acton, Billerica, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord and Lowell.