Grant Recipients

2022/2023 COMMUNITY HEALTH INITIATIVES GRANTS

The GLHA is proud to announce the grant awards for the fall of 2021 to support programs and services to improve the overall health of the Greater Lowell community. Grants were awarded around the following health priorities and programs that meet the specific areas of focus identified by the GLHA’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) process:

• Alcohol & Substance Use Disorder
• Behavioral Health
• Health Equity
• Housing & The Built Environment
• Infectious Disease
• Maternal & Infant Health
• Safety & Violence
• Wellness & Chronic Disease

To qualify, all proposals needed to incorporate a plan to meet the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in health and health care to all individuals in order to reduce disparities and achieve health equity.

Casa Esperanza: Conexiones Transportation Project    – $59,309

Casa Esperanza used these funds to replace their van, which had had mechanical issues, and increase the transportation services for their patients seeking treatment.

Chelmsford Senior Center: Stay at Home- $50,000

This funding assisted in providing Hoarding Disorder training for the 19 core members of the Resource Network in home assessment evaluations, occupant housing disorder cognitive coaching, and harm reduction procedures. The core members in turn, trained volunteers. Some funds were also used for conducting Buried in Treasures/Cognitive Behavior Therapy workshops by staff.

Community Teamwork Inc.: Youth Services Family Foundations Program – $20,000

Youth Services used funds to increase capacity, awareness, education, and support around perinatal mental health and safe sex education as an extension of CTI’s established Youth Family Foundations program, and all young people who are pregnant or parenting connected to other resources under the Youth Services umbrella of programming.

Eliot Church : Day Center – $25,600

Funding provided staff support for case management and support groups focused on substance use, survivors of sexual assault, and individuals living with HIV and/or HepC. It also assisted with expanding training for staff to increase their knowledge and better equip them to support clients including training on trauma informed care, overdose prevention, mental health first aid, care for people living with HIV/AIDS, and grief related to overdose deaths.

Ellie Fund: Equitable Pathways to Breast Cancer Care – $25,000

Funding was directed towards providing culturally and linguistically responsive educational materials via their website and patient self-referral platform and towards new outreach and educational work in partnership with local community health centers and healthcare providers that has already begun to change the pandemic-induced decline in breast care access in Greater Lowell.

International Institute of New England: Greater Lowell Refugee Mental Health and Wellness Initiative – $15,000

This project targeted Afghan evacuees and Haitian entrants served by IINE’s Community Services team through resettlement and case management, whose experiences navigating and escaping violence and political turmoil in their countries of origin are associated with an increase risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. This multi-pronged approach includes cultural orientation sessions that reduce stigma regarding mental health needs and increase awareness of supports, services, and resources; behavioral health referrals and connection to services for clients with mental health needs; group activities focused on cooling, soccer, and other interest to help clients build support systems and reduce their isolation; and bi-weekly check-ins with individuals to understand and monitor their needs and interests to identify interventions.

Ironstone Farm: Home Base-Two Day Overnight Retreats – $15,000

Funding allowed additional overnight retreat components to the already existing and highly successful weekend day retreat program with Home Base. Home Base is a nationally recognized program with multidisciplinary group of experts working together to support Veterans and their families.

Lowell Community Health Center: Let’s Talk about Health Relationships Project – $50,000

Funding supported the Let’s Talk build on the momentum of the 2022 D4P Lowell youth/community event to expand access to information, education and awareness on reproductive health and sexual violence/assault for youth, adults and the general community through evidence-based curricula, outreach and trainings.

MAPS: Greater Lowell Portuguese-Language Short Term Mental Health Counseling- $23,371

MAPS used funding to provide five hours/week of remote, short-term mental health counseling for community members experiencing COVID-related anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues during the funding year in Greater Lowell. This allowed MAPS to expand a pilot program in which they contract with linguistically and culturally competent mental health clinicians as consultants to provide limited, temporary therapy to clients who can’t access this crucial service due to cultural, linguistic, financial, insurance and other barriers.

Merrimack Valley Food Bank: Gryphon Market After-School Culinary Program at GLTHS – $15,000

This pilot program supported students at the Greater Lowell Technical High School who are at risk of food insecurity, in collaboration with Merrimack Valley Food Bank. Sixty students during the 2022-2023 school year were invited to participate in a six-session activity during which they learned meal planning, budgeting, and nutrition as they prepare and cook meals for themselves. They also received food supplies and supermarket gift cards to enable and encourage cooking ands healthy eating at home.

Mill City Grows: Food Policy Council: Community Led Improvements to Nutritious Food Access – $9,450

Mill City Grows used funds to form the Lowell Food Policy Council, a resident-led body that determines goals and priorities that will improve the local food system for residents with the most barriers to food access. This council will ensure diverse recruitment, oversee Mill City Grows workplans to educate about SNAP/HIP and expand use of community gardens by low-income, chronically ill residents, determine 1-2 priority areas, set goals, and report on their progress.

THRIVE Communities: Reentry Housing Services- $25,000

THRIVE’s project is to improve access to safe, stable, and affordable housing for people returning to community from the experience of incarceration, with the goal of ensuring housing is available at the time of a person’s release from incarceration. This is part of a Wraparound Reentry Service, offering social support with access to stable housing, equitable employment opportunities, and consistent and appropriate mental health and substance use disorder services as desired.

YWCA: Spanish Speaking Women’s Health Connections- $22,270

As a response to the isolation and health services disparity exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-10 pandemic, YWCA used funding to provide services to its two Spanish-speaking Latina women’s groups (morning and afternoon groups). This allowed YWCA Lowell to continue to bring more Spanish-speaking Latina women into both groups and provide them with connections and resources related to their and their family’s health and wellbeing.