Merrimack Valley Magazine

Methuen Family, UML Alumni Gift $50 Million to UMass

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Methuen natives Robert J. Manning and Donna Manning donated a $50 million cash gift to the University of Massachusetts — the largest donation of any kind in the university’s history.

The couple, high school sweethearts who later commuted to UMass Lowell, have long been generous supporters to the university. They previously committed more than $11 million to UMass Lowell, where the Manning School of Business bears their name.

Also on the Lowell campus, they have endowed several faculty chairs, sponsored a nursing simulation lab, and established the Robert and Donna Manning Endowed Scholarship Fund. The Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching is awarded to faculty on all five UMass campuses for high-impact teaching.

Robert Manning received a degree in information systems management from UMass Lowell in 1984. Donna Manning earned a nursing degree in 1985 and a masters in business administration from UMass Lowell in 1991. They each received an honorary doctor of humane letters from UMass Lowell in 2011.

The couple credits their UMass education with giving them the foundation for success.

 

“Donna and I are at a point in our lives where we want to make a real difference, and this was the best way to do that, because we know what UMass does for students. It transforms lives,” said Robert Manning in a statement. “We firmly believe that UMass is the most important asset in the Commonwealth, and that the greatest thing we can do to support the Commonwealth is to support the UMass campuses and UMass students.”

UMass said the first distribution will be a $15 million endowment to the UMass-Boston nursing program, which will become the Robert and Donna Manning College of Nursing and Health, and will be geared to promoting student diversity and equitable patient care.

The remaining $35 million of the donation will go toward improving access and opportunity at the UMass campuses in Lowell, Amherst, Dartmouth and Worcester. Those plans will be announced in the coming months.

The couple, who now reside in Swampscott, plan to be heavily engaged in the UMass programs their gifts will support.

“The significance of this gift cannot be overstated,” UMass President Marty Meehan said in a statement. “Rob and Donna are two of our own. As first-generation college graduates, they experienced the transformational impact UMass has on students’ lives. Rob and Donna have always led by example in their philanthropy, and this remarkable gift is a call to action to the philanthropic community.”

UMass Lowell’s Jacquie Moloney to Step Down as Chancellor in 2022

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UMass Lowell (UML) Chancellor Jacquie Moloney today announced she will step down as chancellor at the end of the upcoming academic year in June 2022.

“I am grateful to have had the honor and privilege of serving as chancellor for the past six years and for eight years previously as executive vice chancellor. I will always treasure our time together and the many accomplishments we achieved during my 37-year tenure at UML. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you to advance our university as one of the top public institutions in the country,” Moloney wrote in a letter to the campus community.

Moloney, who in August 2015 was unanimously appointed as the first woman to lead UML, has overseen a campus-wide transformation launched in 2007 when she was named executive vice chancellor by then-chancellor Marty Meehan.

Under Moloney’s oversight, UML launched its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign with the objective of raising $125 million by 2020. The campaign met its goal two years ahead of schedule and surpassed it, raising $165 million. In the past decade, 19 new buildings have been added or substantially renovated on campus, increasing the campus’ square footage by nearly 60%. The investments brought new life to the university with the addition of River Hawk Village and Aiken Field on East Campus and the renewal of the iconic Coburn Hall on South Campus.

 

Moloney

Long a proponent of integrating entrepreneurial lessons and opportunities throughout campus life, Moloney created UML’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and established DifferenceMaker, a national model for entrepreneurial programming that engages more than 3,000 students a year in problem-solving activities and competitions.

Active in engaging industry to advance initiatives ranging from public-private research partnerships to co-op and internship opportunities for students, Moloney was in 2017 recognized as one of seven prominent “Women Who Mean Business” by the Boston Business Journal. Since that year, UMass Lowell has been ranked in the top 15 among the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe Magazine and the Commonwealth Institute. Moloney also received the Ray Stata Award from the Massachusetts High Technology Council in 2019.

During nearly 40 years with UMass Lowell, Moloney has served in numerous roles, including as professor, researcher, dean and executive vice chancellor. She was a pioneer in web-based learning and she revolutionized what is now the Division of Graduate, Online and Professional Studies to include award-winning online programs that today number more than 31,000 course enrollments from students across the nation each year.

Moloney earned two degrees from UMass Lowell, a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a doctorate in education. She also holds a master’s degree in social psychology from Goddard College. One of nine children, Moloney — like 40% of new undergraduate students at UMass Lowell — was the first person in her family to attend college. Under her leadership, UMass Lowell established the River Hawk Scholars Academy, which has become a national model for its support of first-generation college students.

The UMass President’s Office plans to launch a national search for Chancellor Moloney’s successor in the fall.

Chancellor Moloney was featured on our May/June 2016 cover. Read the full interview here. >>>>

 

 

 

NoteWorthy – 4/19/20

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Around the Valley

Student Advocate Named Civic Fellow

Courtney Morin of Lawrence has been named Northern Essex Community College’s Newman Civic Fellow for her outstanding leadership roles and devotion to advocating for community college students.

Morin, a biology and philosophy major, was nominated by NECC President Lane Glenn, who wrote, “College faculty and staff describe Courtney with words such as motivated, collaborative, innovative, dedicated, change-maker, and advocate.”

During her first year at Northern Essex, Morin became the president of the Amnesty International Club. In spring 2017, she started as a general member of the Student Government Association. Morin has attended several advocacy days at the Massachusetts Statehouse to advocate for sexual assault prevention, college affordability, educational attainment disparities between white and Latinx students, housing and food insecurity, mental health and the interconnectedness of these issues. Morin currently serves as the vice president of the Haverhill Campus for SGA.

In fall 2018, she was elected as the NECC student trustee to the board of trustees.

“Beyond the NECC community, Courtney was elected in 2018 to serve as the Vice Chair of the Student Advisory Council to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, where she supported and promoted initiatives such as open educational resources (OER), changing student trustee eligibility requirements, and Every Voice Coalition’s bills, aimed at addressing sexual violence and misconduct on higher education campuses,” wrote Glenn.

The Newman Civic Fellowship distinguishes and supports students who have shown leadership and an investment in their communities across the country to help solve problems they may be facing.

 

ECCF Announces New Grant Program for Creative Nonprofits Affected by COVID-19

Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF) is announcing the creation of the Essex County Creative Nonprofit Resiliency Grant Program.

Seeded with $100,000 from ECCF’s Creative County Initiative, the program will provide one-time grants to the Essex County cultural nonprofits that anchor vulnerable and vitally important cultural communities. The program will target small and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations with deep roots in their communities, that serve the economically vulnerable and are taking a long view towards recovery and sustainability.

During this time, ECCF encourages donors to continue their direct support of the arts and cultural organizations they have supported in the past. For more information, and to help sustain creative nonprofits by making a donation, please visit eccf.org/creative-county.

Individual artists are not eligible for The Essex County Creative Nonprofit Resiliency Program, but may be eligible for a grant from The Essex County Artist Fund. For more information, visit eccf.org/creative-county.

 

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union and Community Teamwork Launch Acre Catalyst Fund

The Acre Catalyst Fund is a new collaborative project as part of Working Cities Lowell that provides businesses and entrepreneurs in the Acre neighborhood with funds and other support to start or expand their business ventures.

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union has partnered with Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) to launch the Acre Catalyst Fund, a new collaborative project that will enhance business and entrepreneurial opportunities within Lowell’s Acre neighborhood.

The credit union has committed $200,000 to the Entrepreneurship Center @CTI to capitalize an economic development initiative. The Entrepreneurship Center @CTI offers a broad range of business services. The Acre Catalyst Fund complements the center’s programs by making loans available to entrepreneurs, new and current Acre businesses, and businesses seeking to locate to the Acre, one of Lowell’s most impoverished neighborhoods.

“The Acre is more than a neighborhood to us,” said Mark Cochran, president and chief executive officer of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union. “This is where our organization began, and it’s still our home today. We have a responsibility to provide resources that can help neighborhoods thrive and give residents a pathway to economic opportunity. As a Working Cities Challenge member, the Credit Union is pleased to collaborate on this effort.”

The Acre Catalyst Fund is part of the Working Cities Lowell Initiative, a partnership between 13 local organizations, including Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union and Community Teamwork, Inc. that work to improve the Acre.

In addition to loan capital, entrepreneurs and businesses that are part of the program will receive business and financial counseling and other supportive resources to help guide them in their business ventures. Applicants must meet specific criteria to be eligible.

For more information regarding The Acre Catalyst Fund visit www.GrowYourBusinessat CTI.org.

 

Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce Launches Financial Program for Small Businesses

A new program from the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce is helping the area’s smallest businesses where they need it most right now: Their pocketbooks.

“The COVID-19 crisis is wreaking havoc on Main Street small businesses across the United States,” says Dougan Sherwood, president of the Haverhill Chamber. “The Greater Haverhill Chamber has set up a new fund to drive desperately needed cash into these local mom and pops.”

Thanks to the program, people who shop at the participating businesses will get 25% off their purchase up to $100. They can find more details and participating businesses on the Haverhill Chamber’s website.

People can also help by donating to a GoFundMe campaign that the Chamber created to fund the initiative. It will use the fund to repay the businesses that provide a 25% discount to their customers.

Sherwood says the program will run for as long as it has funding.

“Please consider giving,” he says. “Then go shopping!”

 

Lupoli Delivers Pizza With a Purpose

On April 3, Sal Lupoli, the CEO and founder of Sal’s Pizza, delivered over 200 slices of pizza to Lawrence Memorial Hospital to thank the doctors, nurses, and hospital workers for their dedication and hard work. Then on April 8, Sal and wife Kati Lupoli, delivered pizzas to the Chelmsford Police and Fire Department. Through #pizzawithapourpose, Sal’s Pizza has discounted pizza at each of its locations and is providing pizza-making kits.

“Our mission is to help those that are helping our communities fight this virus. The courageous work that first responders are doing is hard and it does not go unnoticed. I hope that by delivering pizzas and saying thank you we can help our first responders in a small way” said Sal Lupoli, the CEO and Founder of the Lupoli Companies.

 

Student Entrepreneur Competition Tackles Health Care and Sustainability

Innovating even in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, UMass Lowell students learning entrepreneurship skills presented their ideas for new products and services in a pitch competition held remotely for the first time.

UMass Lowell’s DifferenceMaker program brings together students in all majors and teaches them to think like entrepreneurs and launch their own businesses and nonprofits. This year, as the UMass Lowell community teaches and works remotely, students participated in the eighth annual DifferenceMaker $50K Idea Challenge via Zoom on Wednesday, April 15. The event was open to the public.

The contest’s judges, many of them UMass Lowell alumni, heard from students pitching ideas for everything from biodegradable face masks to a service that trains people to escape burning buildings. Winning teams will receive shares of $50,000 in seed money from private donations.

Since the DifferenceMaker program’s launch, UMass Lowell students have formed 35 companies, filed for eight patents and raised $4 million in funding. Successful ventures include Nonspec, which builds prosthetics for people in developing countries; TopaCan, which makes and sells a portable device that turns beverage cans into environmentally friendly receptacles for cigarette butts; and invisaWear, inventor and seller of a personal safety alert device that looks like jewelry.

 

Pentucket Bank Continues with Increase in Community Contributions Amid COVID-19

Pentucket Bank announced the third round of “Phase One” donations as part of the bank’s strategy to increase charitable giving by 20% in 2020 over the $400,000 that the bank donated in 2019.

On Friday, April 10, the bank informed the following organizations that they will be receiving $2,500 in unrestricted funds: Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, Salem Family Resources and Essex Country Community Foundation. The bank is committed to placing these meaningful funds in the hands of several agencies that are continuing to provide critical services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. What the Bank is calling “Phase One” of their giving strategy includes ten local organizations and a total of $25,000; $2,500 for each of the ten. To date, the following organizations have also been recipients of these strategic bank contributions: Sarah’s Place Adult Day Health; Isaiah 58; Home Health Foundation; Emmaus Inc.; Boys & Girls Club of Haverhill, Boys & Girls Club of Salem and Family Services of Merrimack Valley.

For more information, please visit www.pentucketbank.com/covid19.

 

Haverhill Bank Provides $15 Million in SBA Funding to Local Businesses Impacted by COVID-19 Restrictions

As a longtime participating lender in U.S. Small Business Administration programs, Haverhill Bank was prepared to help when Congress approved the Paycheck Protection Program. The PPP is the centerpiece of a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package and converts many loans into outright grants. Haverhill Bank President and CEO Thomas Mortimer said his institution has already funded $15 million to local businesses.

“This isn’t just about business. It’s personal. These are our families, neighbors, frontline workers at local businesses who need a helping hand as the nation faces the worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s,” he said.

On the day the program launched two weeks ago, he said, Haverhill Bank was already coaching businesses remotely. As a result, it received more than 160 applications and $34 million in requests.

The program allows businesses to keep paying employees and/or bring back laid-off workers. For the kinds of small businesses served by Haverhill Bank, most businesses won’t have to repay the loan if they keep people on the payroll.

Mortimer said bank staff have worked tirelessly to process the applications since time was of the essence. He explained that Congress allocated $349 billion and the bank processed loans all the way up until the time the current round of funding ran out on Thursday.

“This program will save many businesses from continued hardship and will benefit many who are unemployed,” Mortimer added.

NoteWorthy – 4/12/20

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Home Health Foundation Responds to Thank-You Letters

This week, Karen Gomes, president and CEO of the Lawrence-based Home Health Foundation, issued a letter responding to the numerous thank-you notes sent to caregivers at High Pointe House, their hospice and palliative care residence, and Home Health Foundation’s family of agencies: Circle Home, Hallmark Health VNA, Home Health VNA, Merrimack Valley Hospice and York Hospital Hospice.

In the letter, she noted that there are many ways for supporters to assist their efforts:

  • Gifts made to their Grateful Patient and Families Program will be directed to their COVID-19 Relief Fund for philanthropic outreach designed to help support health care workers.
  • Messages of appreciation will be shared with staff, as well as the community, through the Home Health Foundation newsletter, “Journeys.”
  • Donations of Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE. A list of current needs may be found on their website.
  • Donations of handmade cloth masks. Instructions on how to create a cloth mask may be found on their website.

 

 

Pentucket Bank Increases Community Contributions Amid COVID-19

On Monday, Pentucket Bank announced the second round of “Phase One” donations as part of the bank’s strategy to increase charitable giving by 20% in 2020 over the $400,000 that the bank donated in 2019.

The bank contacted the following organizations on Friday, April 3, to let them know they will be receiving $2,500 in unrestricted funds: The Boys & Girls Club of Haverhill, The Boys & Girls Club of Salem and Family Services of the Merrimack Valley.  As previously announced, the bank is committed to placing these meaningful funds in the hands of several agencies that are continuing to provide critical services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “Phase One” of the bank’s giving strategy includes 10 local organizations and a total of $25,000; $2,500 for each of them. The first four recipients of the donations were: Sarah’s Place Adult Day Health; Isaiah 58; Home Health Foundation and Emmaus Inc.

For more information on the ways in which Pentucket Bank is responding to customers and community amid the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit www.PentucketBank.com/COVID-19.

 

Firehouse Responds to COVID-19 Crisis

This week, John Moynihan, the executive director of the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, issued a statement that it has canceled all programming through August 2020.

If you purchased tickets to an event during this time frame, please reach out to hello@firehouse.org to discuss your options.

Moynihan noted that they have canceled over 100 events including full theater productions, music concerts, dance events, documentary screenings and youth productions and classes — a loss of income in excess of $300,000. The decision impacts more than 200 professional or budding artists.

He noted that while they have streamlined and reduced their expenses to the best of their ability, fixed monthly expenses still land at $40,000. If you are in a position to do so, please consider donating to their Phoenix Campaign. Please visit our website for additional information.

 

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell Seeks Help

Just a few weeks ago, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell families closed on two more homes in Lowell. The Reh and Un families became the newest Habitat homeowners and now have a home to keep their family safe and healthy.

Currently, the Habitat Lowell office, construction site and ReStore are closed. That is not stopping the staff from reaching out to their current and future families to assist them. Habitat Lowell is asking for support to purchase building material needed to resume renovating a home in Billerica for a mother and her three children as well as performing critical home repairs for seniors and veterans. Donations may be made online at LowellHabitat.org. For further information, email them at info@lowellhabitat.org.

 

Project LEARN Launches Fund

To support Lowell children and families, Project LEARN has launched the COVID-19 Student Supplies Fund to help get resources directly into the hands of Lowell Public School students.

Your support will directly provide at-home school supplies for Lowell Public School students who need it the most. Funds will be used to purchase items for the most requested items including:

 

UMass Lowell Announces $500,000 in Summer Scholarships

In an effort to help offset the financial hardships that many are experiencing right now, UMass Lowell is allocating half a million dollars in education scholarships for new and continuing undergraduate students who enroll for the 2020 summer semester.

“Everyone has been affected by the sudden global health and economic changes caused by COVID-19 and we hope these scholarships will help minimize the impact for students pursing education at UMass Lowell,” said Steven Tello, vice provost for graduate, online and professional studies.

Tello said these new UML Summer Scholarships are being offered in addition to traditional financial aid programs such as federal grants and student loans. He also encouraged students to apply for the new aid soon by visiting UMass Lowell’s Summer Financial Aid page, as early applications will be given priority consideration.

“UMass Lowell is nationally recognized for quality with more than 20 years of experience in online education,” Tello said. “While there are a lot of new unknowns in our daily lives, UMass Lowell’s online and virtual classroom courses provide an affordable opportunity for students to move their education forward.”

To continue its support of social distancing practices, all UMass Lowell summer courses will be offered online or through a virtual classroom model. More information on courses being offered is available at https://gps.uml.edu.

For additional information about online education at UMass Lowell, connect with the Division of Graduate, Online and Professional Studies at continuing_education@uml.edu, (978) 934-2474 or (800) 480-3190.

 

Haverhill Chamber Creates New Program: #HaverhillLocal

The COVID-19 crisis is wreaking havoc on Main Street small businesses across the United States.

The hardest hit are local face-to-face Main Street services — restaurants, bars, coffee shops, barbershops, hair salons, auto repair shops, dry cleaners and others that are living on the brink. These entities, usually sole proprietorships or businesses with fewer than 25, 10 or even five employees are running out of cash or already broke.

The Greater Haverhill Chamber has set up a new fund to drive desperately needed cash into these local mom and pops. This fund will allow the chamber to offset any purchases from participating businesses with a 25% discount. Please consider giving — then go shopping!

Check out participating businesses here: HaverhillChamber.com.

Lazarus House Food Pantry Resolves to Stay Open As Need Grows

The staggering level of job losses, which has disproportionately impacted low-income Americans who work in service industries, has increased the resolve of the Lazarus House food pantry staff to remain open.

“People come by and say, ‘Thank you for being open, thank you for this food, thank you for staying here for us,’” said Jeff Hassel, executive director. “There is a lot of appreciation from our guests that we have not closed up and gone home.”

In the first month of the COVID-19 outbreak, the pantry has provided food to as many as 800 families a week.

“We’re still doing a significant distribution even though people have been told to stay home,” said Ken Campbell, who runs St. Martha’s Food Pantry on Hampshire Street in Lawrence, noting these people have put their fears aside for much needed food.

“We have skyrocketing unemployment, and many people who have not come to food pantries before will come now,” he said.

Keeping the pantry open is worrisome for the staff because of the potential exposure to the coronavirus from hundreds of people within a matter of hours, and then bringing it home to their families.

The stakes are high, especially since there is a COVID-19 surge expected this coming week in Lawrence.

“I am worried about being able to keep this open,” said Hassel. “If someone in the food pantry gets sick, then the rest of the staff has to go home and quarantine.”

The staff has made what they call “loving modifications” to best protect themselves, their families, and those served.

“The biggest change was a significant alteration to our process of distributing food,” said Campbell. “People are not coming in for a shopping experience; we are prepackaging a bag of groceries for a ‘Grab and Go’ process.”

Bags of groceries are assembled and then pushed from behind a plexiglass shield one-at-time to guests who are socially distanced apart. Lazarus House staff can still communicate and connect through conversation and smiles.

“People who I’ve never seen before are calling up and asking if they can drop food off, saying ‘I know it must be difficult,’” said Campbell.

Fred Anderson and his son, longtime supporters of Lazarus House, drove six hours to Maine to load 200 50-pound bags of potatoes onto his trailer. They returned to unload the 10,000 pounds of potatoes for the pantry.

“The only hiccup is that we distribute the food differently,” said Campbell. “Other than that, we’re still doing what we’ve always done and that is to serve our community.”

 

NoteWorthy – 4/5/20

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AROUND THE VALLEY

UMass Lowell Donates Protective Equipment to Health Care Workers, First Responders

Photo at top of page: Face shields, gloves and gowns like the ones shown being worn here by UMass Lowell students and faculty were among the personal protective equipment recently donated by the university to local hospitals, health organizations and first responders. Shown from left are students Lindsay McGrail and Benedicta Agyemang-Brantuo, Assistant Teaching Prof. Arlee Dulak and student Rachely Romero. (UMass Lowell courtesy photo)

When local health care organizations and first responders rang the alarm about shortages of protective equipment, UMass Lowell responded.

The university’s Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences and Kennedy College of Sciences recently donated face shields, masks, gloves, surgical gowns, eyewear and more for workers who are on the front lines of fighting COVID-19.

The shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been of critical concern as the number of coronavirus cases has surged across the U.S. Without proper protection, health care workers and emergency responders are at risk of getting and spreading infection.

Areas of the college that provided equipment include medical laboratory sciences, physical therapy and kinesiology, and the Solomont School of Nursing. Recipients of the college’s donations include Lowell General Hospital and Lowell Community Health Center.

“Nurses are the frontline health providers during normal times, frequently sacrificing their own health and safety to care for and protect their patients,” said Solomont School of Nursing Dean Leslie Neal-Boylan. “All health care professionals need the appropriate gear, tools and staffing to combat this pandemic and we are happy to do our part.”

In the Kennedy College of Sciences, donations like isopropyl alcohol, disposable gowns and about 40,000 gloves were provided by the departments of chemistry and biological sciences to local providers including Lowell General Hospital, Lawrence General Hospital and the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center.

UMass Lowell’s Office of Life Safety and Emergency Management also recently donated a range of protective equipment — Tyvek suits, face shields, masks, gloves and more — to first responders in the city of Lowell. The office is also coordinating responses to requests for PPE as departments across the campus identify available supplies.

 

Lowell CHC Seeks Support

Lowell Community Health Center was founded in 1970 to make sure that everyone in Greater Lowell has access to quality, compassionate, and culturally responsive health care, regardless of ability to pay.

Adjusting operations to meet this challenge has put a strain on the organization — physically, mentally and financially. Although federal and state assistance is on its way, it alone won’t help them regain their footing. Consider making a donation at LcHealth.org/about/donate/form.

 

GLCF Receives $100K Grant as Part of Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation’s Commitment to Aid Communities Impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis

The Wish Project, a GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund grant recipient, is distributing emergency assistance items to clients and agencies in Greater Lowell during the pandemic. Lori Yutzy, a project manager from Billerica, is helping to keep on top of the requests.

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) announced today that it has received a $100,000 grant from Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation. The grant is part of a $3 million commitment Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation is targeting in financial support to area nonprofits focused on COVID-19 relief. This is, in turn, part of an over $10 million commitment Eastern Bank has made to aid individuals and families, small businesses and nonprofit organizations impacted by the coronavirus crisis.

The grant will support the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund which supports the unanticipated needs of those nonprofits serving vulnerable populations in Greater Lowell, such as the elderly, low-income and homeless, during these uncertain times.

Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation’s COVID-19 relief is helping communities across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island with grants supporting regional community organizations’ assistance; as well as nonprofit partners providing relief in food security, support to small businesses with a focus on small businesses of color, and across the community healthcare system. This commitment is in addition to Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation’s already-planned $10 million in community support for 2020.

Donations to the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund can be made online at Glcfoundation.org or by mail to the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund c/o GLCF, 100 Merrimack Street, Suite 202, Lowell, MA 01852.

 

NECC Creates Emergency Fund for Students Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic

Many Northern Essex Community College (NECC) students are living paycheck to paycheck with limited resources, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more challenging for them to continue their education.

Recognizing how difficult this is, Northern Essex has created the NECC Student Emergency Fund to help at-risk students stay in college. The fund will cover laptop and/or internet access for online learning; tuition assistance and stipends, should students now be food insecure because of lost wages; and other needs that are connected with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our students are driven, smart, curious, and unique,” said Allison Dolan-Wilson, vice president of institutional advancement, “but they are also vulnerable.”

According to Dolan-Wilson, more than half of the Northern Essex student body is Pell Grant eligible, meaning their families have a total income of $50,000 or less.

“Our students need us now more than ever. We need to support their desire to continue their education,” said Dolan-Wilson.

If you would like to donate and help Northern Essex students, please contribute to the emergency fund or email Allison Dolan Wilson at adolanwilson@necc.mass.edu.

 

ECCF Awards Bread & Roses $2,500 in Phase I of COVID-19 Response Fund

The Essex County Community Foundation COVID-19 Response Fund has awarded a first round of grants, totaling $317,000, to 35 nonprofits on the front lines of the COVID-19 health crisis and serving the most vulnerable populations in our region.

​Bread & Roses has recently received $2,500 to bolster the organization’s food support programs, in particular providing food outreach to agencies across the Merrimack Valley as they struggle to meet a rise in demand for services. Due to concerns for the safety of guests, staff, and volunteers, Bread & Roses has temporarily suspended programs operating out of 58 Newbury Street. However, Bread & Roses remains a source of critical food support in Lawrence and beyond through the continuation and expansion of its Community Food Outreach program. Equipped with two outreach vans, Bread & Roses receives and distributes meals and bulk food donations on a daily basis to agencies serving those most at-risk in the current crisis including substance abuse treatment centers, homeless shelters and emergency food pantries.

To donate to the Bread & Roses COVID-19 Response appeal, click here​.

 

Frontline Workers Brave Keep Lazarus House Shelter Open

The frontline workers at the Lazarus House emergency shelter are rewarded each day for the peril of leaving their homes. In the midst of the pandemic, they are anxiously trying to keep the shelter open for the families and individuals for whom it is their only sanctuary.

“The guests at the shelter don’t have people they can rely on. A lot of the people don’t have anyone else in the world. Their fear is, ‘If I lose Lazarus House, where will I go?’” said Almarie Silverman, director of advocacy, who especially worries about a woman who is nine months pregnant.

Another staff member working to keep it open is Carmen Vega, shelter program director, who comes in each day feeling her family’s worry that she will bring COVID-19 home. She only recently was able to wear a mask.

“We didn’t have masks, so I felt it wasn’t fair if I was wearing a mask and my staff could not,” Vega said.

Vega said the shelter “smells like bleach,” as the staff and shelter guests thoroughly follow the protocol — taking precautions of social distancing, wearing masks and regularly disinfecting common areas. They know that does not eliminate the risk, but they all keep doing it to make sure they can stay at the only place they have left.

“It’s scary. I am a woman of faith, so I pray and ask God to cover me,” said Vega. “My family would wish that I wouldn’t come in, but this is my job. This is what I love to do.”

 

GLFHC Issues COVID-19 Response Update

Last week, GLFHC created the GLFHC COVID-19 Response Fund to address the needs of the health center and the growing concern that their frontline health care staff and clinicians are at risk. Since then, many friends of the organization have provided philanthropic support to meet the critical needs of these workers as they focus on patients in a collective fight against COVID-19.

Lawrence Family Medicine resident physicians, nurses, pharmacy staff, and other frontline employees are dealing with some of the most challenging health care issues they have ever faced. Although the GLFHC has a fully functioning telehealth program for patients, respiratory illness teams and physicians continue to see patients at their sites and at the local hospital. These team members also have to care for their own health and that of their families.

The GLFHC COVID-19 Response Fund will help meet the daily needs of these frontline health care workers and keep them safe as they continue to fulfill the health center’s mission. With close to 62,000 registered patients, they will continue to provide care on a daily basis. But to do that they must keep their staff healthy and safe. Please consider a gift to the GLFHC COVID-19 Response Fund.

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