Nonprofits get grants to fight pandemic

LOWELL » Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation provided $22 million in community support in 2020, $11 million of which has gone to address the impacts of the coronavirus and will be used to help several Lowell-based nonprofits.

The Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell, the Lowell Transitional Living Center, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation and the Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership each received $25,000 grants as part of the annual community support program from EBCF.

Jim Wilde, executive director of MVHP, said in a press release the grant will be used to support the organization’s training program for low- to moderate-income first-time home buyers.

“During the pandemic, we have experienced a significant increase in demand for our homebuyer training program and financial counseling services,” Wilde said in the release issued by the nonprofit. “Eastern Bank’s support of our efforts is generous and greatly appreciated.”

During the start of the pandemic, EBCF began to lend support in the form of unsolicited grants to nonprofit organizations. In total, $11 million in COVID-19 relief grants have been provided to hundreds of local and regional organizations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island in 2020.

The most recent funding supports organizations focused on housing stability, homelessness, food insecurity