A Message from the President and CEO

Dear Nelson, 

Gratitude: “The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” We have a season for that, but I’m not sure it happens all year round. Sometimes it seems we’re too concerned with what we don’t have and less appreciative of what we do have. And too often, that appreciation is focused on the materialistic things in our lives and less on the things that really matter.

I hope you had all that and more over this Thanksgiving holiday. It was wonderful to celebrate in person this year with so many of our family and friends to share love and laughter. But, of course, there were more people at the dinner table, and friends and neighbors were coming and going throughout the weekend. Some are invited, some not, but all are welcome. Because when it’s all said and done, the things that matter most are faith, family, and friends.

Extending you wishes of kindness and gratitude all year round. And if you’ve got some, which I know you do, please share.

Thank you all! 

GLCF News

GLCF Annual Celebrate Giving Event Highlights the Power of Philanthropy

On Wednesday, October 26, 2022, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation hosted its annual Celebrate Giving event at UTEC.

The event featured panelists: Nancy Huntington Stager, President & Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Bank Foundation; Sophy Theam, Trustee of the Theodore Edson Parker Foundation and DEI and Leadership Program Specialist at Enterprise Bank; John Flanagan, Senior Director, Westford Corporate Citizenship for Red Hat; and Siddhi Shah Cheong, Head of Strategy Development, MilliporeSigma and representing the Shruti N. Shah Memorial Scholarship Fund. The panel moderated by GLCF’s president and CEO Jay Linnehan, discussed creating change in the community, the transformational effect of giving time, talent, and treasure, and the future of philanthropy.

WinnCompanies. a proven housing partner in the greater Lowell community, received the 2022 GLCF Business Philanthropy Partner Award for their exemplary work collaborating with people during the pandemic to help keep them in their homes, treating them with respect and dignity. Lawrence H. Curtis, the President and Managing Partner of WinnDevelopment and member of the Board of Directors of WinnCompanies accepted the award.

The 2022 Steven Joncas Community Connector Award recipient was Bopha Malone, Interim Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Greater Lowell. The award recognizes an individual or organization in our community that has advanced the power of philanthropy in Greater Lowell. Malone’s dedication to serving local nonprofits was highlighted with this award.

This year, the inaugural GLCF Newell Flather Legacy Fund Grant was awarded to Coalition for a Better Acre (CBA) for Health Access Programming in Lowell. The Newell Flather Legacy Fund was established by the Theodore Edson Parker Foundation in 2022 at GLCF to support nonprofit projects focused on the arts, immigrant, and refugee communities, and/or advancing equity and inclusion in the city of Lowell. CBA received a grant of $12,500 for their program.

Dignity Matters Expands Access to Period Products in Greater Lowell

It’s a formerly taboo subject that is getting some of the community awareness needed: period poverty.

Many economically disadvantaged women and girls in Massachusetts receive no assistance when it comes to accessing the menstrual products they need every month.

Not covered by federal food-stamp programs, these expensive products are a regular necessity that can cripple low-income family budgets. Consequently, many women and girls often do without and just stay home during their periods – which impacts their ability to attend school or hold down a job

However, Dignity Matters -- with support from the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) -- has stepped up to help women “manage their whole periods with dignity.”

Each month, 15,000 women in Massachusetts receive period products through Dignity Matters, explained Meryl Glassman, Development. Director. “We are the largest provider of menstrual care products in the state.”

The Framingham-based nonprofit is also educating the public about this under-recognized issue. “We tell people all the time, ‘Look, we don’t talk about menstrual periods. And we don’t talk about what can go wrong with periods. And that’s why so few people are aware that period poverty is happening here in Massachusetts,’ ” said Glassman.

“But more and more people are starting to realize this is an area of great need for women. And the financial impact of the pandemic and rising costs have only made it worse.”

“Families struggling with food insecurity in our community rarely have enough money to keep their households fully fed, much less to purchase period care supplies,” added Jennifer Aradhya, GLCF’s Vice President of Marketing, Programs & Strategy.

“The Foundation wants to create awareness that period poverty does exist, and we are working to fund this important need in Greater Lowell.”

Juniper Networks Grant Addresses Food Equity in Greater Lowell

This year, Juniper Networks offered three grant opportunities (a $10,000 grant, $5,000 grant, and a $2,500 grant to be awarded to Juniper pitch finalists*) through the Greater Lowell Community

Foundation (GLCF) to a nonprofit supporting vulnerable/underserved populations in Greater Lowell to improve food equity in our community.

Food equity/justice refers to ensuring equitable access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate foods. Funding will go towards solving three significant food equity challenges: access, supplies and program support.

2022 JUNIPER NETWORKS Grant Recipients:

- $10,000 first place award: Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell

- $5,000 second place award: Boston Area Gleaners

- $2,500 third place award: Gaining Ground 

We are grateful to Juniper Networks for partnering with GLCF to address food equity in Greater Lowell.

To learn more about partnering with GLCF on corporate philanthropy, contact us.

GLCF in the Community

Virginia Thurston Healing Garden Cancer Support Center

Last month in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, GLCF visited our nonprofit partner, The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden Inc. (Harvard, Mass.), to learn about how they improve the quality of life for all those who are affected by cancer. They provide a supportive community where clients participate in educational programs and classes, experiential stress-reducing activities, and individual therapeutic services to promote resiliency and recovery. 

In FY22, they served 377 clients. 45% of the client population is living with breast cancer diagnosis. Their clients living with breast cancer utilize programs and groups, including the In Treatment support group, Post Treatment support group, Living with Metastatic Cancer support group, Living with Cancer Under 50 support group, LGBTQIA+ Cancer support group, Yoga, Qigong, Music Therapy, Writing for Wellness, Spirituality and Cancer, Art and Nature, Nutrition workshops and more.  

In addition to thanking the team at The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden Cancer Support Center for their incredible work, GLCF delivered a check for $2,500 to support Greater Lowell clients seeking services through the Center.

Veterans Experience at Ironstone Farm

GLCF honors all who served this #VeteransDay 

Recently, GLCF took part in the Veterans Experience at Ironstone Farm. The exercise demonstrated was “At Liberty” with an equine therapist, Jessica, a Halflinger at Ironstone since 2017. The goal was to build trust with the horse. Horses are extremely sensitive to their environment and instinctively analyze and react to body language and other nonverbal cues that provide clients with valuable, metaphoric feedback and insights for different areas of their lives. Ironstone Farm’s Veterans Experience began in April 2013. Our Veterans Retreats happen throughout the year, with approximately 20 retreat weekends a year done in partnership with Home Base Veterans and Family Care. Experiences are shaped to fit each group’s needs and abilities. The weekly veterans’ programs are adaptable, and topics include but are not limited to horsemanship, horse health, farm animal upkeep, and farm projects.

It was a powerful experience, and we were fortunate to see how transformative this therapy is for veterans. GLCF brought along a check for $2500 to support the Veterans Experience.

Mosaic Lowell News

Have You Read The Mosaic Lowell Plan?

Drawing on ideas heard from the community, Mosaic Lowell’s arts, cultural, and creative economy plan invokes a fresh vision for all Lowell can be, and excites a passion to work together to deliver it. Learn more, read the plan.

GLCF Grant News

Women Working Wonders Fund to Award $10,000 in Mini-Grants to Nonprofits Impacting Women and Girls

The Women Working Wonders Fund, a permanently endowed fund of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, is offering mini grants of up to $2,000 each to nonprofits impacting the lives of women and girls in Greater Lowell.

The deadline for application is January 13, 2023, with grant announcements in February. To apply, visit www.womenworkingwondersfund.com/grants. The one-page online application is brief, and there is no reporting requirement.

“As we have worked hard to continue to grow our endowment, we have the privilege to increase grant support to our community beyond our annual grant cycle each summer,” said Marci Barnes, Women Working Wonders board president. “An economic downturn and an ongoing pandemic have increased the needs of the community, and we are responding by offering up to $10,000 in mini-grants to support area nonprofits during this challenging time.”

Women Working Wonders provides annual grants in three key areas: assist women in transition, provide leadership development as well as contribute to the beautification of the environment. Established in 2004, the fund has granted over $300,000 to nonprofits supporting women and girls in the Greater Lowell area.

GLCF Fiscal Sponsor News

"Strive & Thrive" Mentoring Program

If you are interested in participating in the Women Accelerators 2023 "Strive & Thrive" Mentoring Program, the deadline for registration is November 30, 2022.

The 2023 Mentoring program is designed to cultivate professional relationships and facilitate career growth. Whether you are a mentor or a mentee, we all have something to learn from this program; mentoring is a two-way street!

2023 Strive & Thrive Edition of the WA Mentoring Program will start in January 2023 and run for six months. Mentors and mentees meet monthly to share their professional experiences.

We Are America Founder Releases New Book

Earlier this month, GLCF hosted LHS Teacher Jessica Lander at the annual GLCF Board Retreat.

 Jessica Lander’s new book Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education was released last month. We have known and worked with both Jessica and her extraordinary students for years and the book includes many powerful stories of her Lowell High immigrant-origin students. We hope you will check out Jessica’s new book (you can buy a copy at LaLa Books.)

GLCF Grant Highlight

Lowell Transitional Living Center - Juniper Networks 2021 Grant Recipient

Thanks in part to the 2021 grant from Juniper Networks, the Lowell Transitional Living Center was able to create a Technology Center for their clients. LTLC’s technology center boasts 6 cubicles, new laptops, computers, printer, phones, and TVs for remote learning. The grant also was able to provide partial funding for LTLC to hire a staff person to manage the technology center program. Lowell Transitional Living Center has committed this center to provide a space for its clients to actively seek resources to foster independence and self-determination including signing up for workshops, continuing education, Mass Hire, and Commonwealth Healthcare. Having a private space equipped with technology also has provided LTLC clients the ability to set up telehealth appointments and/or simply connect with family and friends.

Give to the Future: Make a Planned Gift

Everyone has a legacy. What’s yours?

Your legacy can be shaped to support the causes you care about now and provide financial and estate savings.

To discuss creating a personalized estate plan that supports issues important to you, please call Jay or Howard at the Greater Lowell Community Foundation at 978-970-1600.