$56,000 given in coronavirus grants

Lowell area nonprofits get a boost

lowell » In its latest round of coronavirus-related grants, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation provided $56,650 to 14 nonprofits across Greater Lowell that serve vulnerable populations.

“Greater Lowell nonprofits have demonstrated remarkable creativity and resiliency throughout the pandemic,” GLCF President & CEO Jay Linnehan said in a recent press release. “Through the generosity of our donors, we continue to support nonprofit programs that are so vital to our community through this latest round of funding.”

Nonprofits receiving grants in the latest round of the GLCV COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund include:

: $10,000 to The Phoenix for Community Recovery Support Program in Lowell

: $10,000 to Budget Buddies for BB Signature Financial Empowerment Program

: $10,000 to Troubled Waters (Lowell) for avoiding isolation during

COVID-19

: $6,900 to Dwelling House of Hope for Family Hygiene Day (PPE) and COVID-19 education

: $10,000 to Whistler House Museum of Art (Lowell) for COVID Safe Support

: $1,750 to Leaving the Streets for Holiday Assistance Food Baskets Program

Sydney Durand, the regional director of The Phoenix, expressed gratitude in the press release for the grant money. According to The Phoenix’s mission statement, their goal “is to build a sober active community that fuels resilience and harnesses the transformational power of connection so that together we rise, recover, and live.”

Durand said the isolation caused by the pandemic exacerbated an already devastating addiction and mental health crisis, but The Phoenix was able to adapt programs to help those affected.

“We know that community support and meaningful relationships are key factors in helping folks thrive in recovery,” Durand said.

The remaining nonprofthat received $1,000 from the GLCF Community Needs Fund to support Thanksgiving food insecurity initiatives for vulnerable populations in Greater Lowell include:

: Billerica Community Pantry Inc.

: Chelmsford Community Exchange

: Elliott Church (Lowell) : End 68 Hours of Hunger/dracut

: Open Pantry of Greater Lowell

: People Helping People Inc. (Burlington)

: Pepperell Aid from Community to Home (PACH Outreach)

: Stone Soup Kitchen – Living Water Fellowship (Ayer)

: Westford Food Pantry Since March 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 $4.9 million.

Courtesy OF GLCF members of the Phoenix, a recipient of a recent grant from the Greater lowell Community Foundation, gather for Recovery dharma meditation with staff, volunteers and team members from its lowell chapter.