Grant awards announced to support nonprofits helping women in Greater Lowell

The Women Working Wonders (WWW) Fund recently awarded more than $43,000 in grant funds to support local nonprofit programs that empower women and girls to effect positive change in the community. WWW Fund Grant recipient Women Accelerators, from left, Hagir Mohamed, Debby Fowler, Miriam Margala, Jodie Bruneau, Susu Wong and Kim Meninger.

Lowell, MA – The Women Working Wonders (WWW) Fund, a permanently endowed fund of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, has announced the recipients of $43,710 in grants. These grants will support local nonprofit programs that empower women and girls to effect positive change in the community.

“During this unprecedented time of economic hardship and public health crisis, Women Working Wonders is proud to support these five organizations in their work to improve the lives of women and girls,” said Susan West Levine, Women Working Wonders Fund board president. “Now more than ever, our philanthropy and attention are needed in the Greater Lowell community.”

2020 WWW Grant Recipients:

  • Community Teamwork, Inc. for Support for Minority Women Childcare Service Providers – $10,000
  • Dignity Matters Inc. for Period Protection to Support Greater Lowell Providers – $10,000
  • Lowell General Hospital for Cancer Center / Cancer Services Breast Boards for Radiation Therapy Treatment Providers – $10,000
  • South Sudanese Enrichment for Families for Women’s Financial Literacy Programming: Whole Family Health and Stability – $3,825 
  • Women Accelerators for The Accelerating Women Leadership Program – $9,885

“Access to menstrual care makes an enormous difference to girls and women who are homeless or living in poverty. Period protection makes it possible for girls to attend school and improve their economic prospects, and it helps women work reliably and access other services to support their families,” said Kate Sanetra-Butler, Executive Director of Dignity Matters. “We’re so grateful to the Women Working Wonders Fund for this new grant, which will help hundreds of women and girls in Greater Lowell through schools and COVID-19 emergency centers. When women support each other, anything is possible.”

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.

At a COVID-19 emergency center at Stoklosa Middle School in Lowell, a volunteer hands out menstrual care packages from Dignity Matters, an organization recently awarded a grant from the Women Working Wonders (WWW) Fund.

Founded in 2004 by a small group of women coming together to form a collective giving organization that focused on women’s issues, the fund has made more than $200,000 in grants to organizations supporting women and girls in the Greater Lowell area.

“We are thrilled to receive this year’s Women Working Wonders Fund Grant. The grant will be used to assist us in helping women with their professional and career training in the Merrimack Valley,” said Susu Wong, co-founder of Women Accelerators. “The grant will support our mission of giving women the tools they need to succeed professionally and to affect meaningful change leading to closing the gender gap.”

The Women Working Wonders Fund’s virtual Power of the Purse 2020 event is scheduled for October 15. Tickets go on sale September 1. For information about WWW and the upcoming event, visit: www.womenworkingwondersfund.com.

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GLCF awards more than $2.2 million with additional COVID-19 relief grants to 19 nonprofits in latest round

Dignity Matters’ Executive Director Kate Sanetra-Butler talks with volunteers as they sort and package menstrual care and underwear for distribution to local women in need. Dignity Matters received a recent grant from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund through GLCF. 

LOWELL – The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF), based in Lowell, announced it deployed a new round of COVID-19 related grants, providing an additional $421,000 to area nonprofits.  The grants were part of the sixth round of distributions to assist area nonprofits serving vulnerable populations during the coronavirus pandemic. Over the last 19 weeks, the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund has supported 95 local nonprofit organizations with grants totaling $2,277,750.

“Although community foundations are most known for building permanent charitable endowments, they play a critical role during challenging times like this pandemic,” said GLCF President & CEO Jay Linnehan. “Being able to respond to community needs is a key element of GLCF’s work and role in Greater Lowell.”

The following 14 nonprofits receiving grants in the latest round of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund are:

  • Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell – Grab & Go meals and Weekend Care Family Care Packages
  • Bridging Independent Living Together Inc. (BILT) of Lowell – provide recreational space for individuals with disabilities
  • Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association – food through gift cards and food deliveries
  • Dignity Matters – 3-month supply of menstrual pads and underwear for women in Greater Lowell
  • Eliot Presbyterian Church – sanitation of outdoor area
  • Girls Incorporated of Greater Lowell – provide daily safe snacks and bottled water for girls participating in their summer programs
  • Greater Lowell Family YMCA – Breakfast & Snack for 9 weeks
  • House of Hope – hotel rooms for use as emergency quarantine shelter spaces for homeless families
  • Lowell Community Health Center – bolstering Call Center capacity to aid Khmer and Portuguese speaking clients through September.
  • PCEA Neema Church Inc. of Lowell – purchase of food supply & household items (diapers, formula); essential supplies (masks, gloves & sanitizer)
  • The Center for Hope and Healing Inc. – distribution of essentials in response to COVID (food, sanitary supplies, gift cards, etc.) via mobile outreach
  • The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless – provide hand sanitizer to 5 homeless shelters in the City of Lowell that are serving over 500 homeless through the end of September
  • Westford Council on Aging – provide Grab and Go Meals for seniors in need
  • YWCA of Lowell, Inc. – acquisition and distribution of food including staples, and fresh produce, along with sanitization costs associated with safe delivery
PCEA Neema Church Inc. received a recent grant from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund through GLCF. Rev. Dr. Karimi Mumbui, Senior Pastor delivers food supply & household items to support the community.

The grants are thanks to funding from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund. The Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund works in concert with regional community foundations and nonprofit leaders to support those across the state most impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis, focusing on essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations including the homeless, immigrant populations, people with disabilities and those facing food insecurity. For more information, visit MACovid19ReliefFund.org.

“Dignity Matters is proud to partner with the Greater Lowell YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell to provide 500 women and girls with 3 months of menstrual care and a year’s supply of underwear,” said Dignity Matters’ Executive Director Kate Sanetra-Butler. “We’re grateful to the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund for supporting this effort through the Greater Lowell Community Foundation.”

The 5 nonprofits receiving grants in the latest round of the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund are:

  • Coalition for a Better Acre – Community Access to Technology – equip families with reliable technology to ensure their ability to participate fully in virtual activities important for their well-being.
  • Elevate NE – Provide technology (devices and connectivity) to support digital education to students in Lowell.
  • Lowell Humane Society – Support to keep their food pantry open and to be sure animals in danger or at risk would have their needs met.
  • Minute Man Arc for Human Services – Provide tablets for adults with disabilities living in group homes to participate in programs/therapies.
  • Westford Community Access Television – COVID-19 Relief for Safe Reporting (PPE and sanitation)
Coalition for a Better Acre (CBA), received a grant from the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund for technology. CBA volunteer, Ediana (left), and her daughter Angel, received a laptop to help enhance remote learning and participate in online community events like CHOP Dinners.

“Coalition for a Better Acre is eager to implement our Community Access to Technology initiative thanks to funding from the GLCF’s Emergency Response Fund,” said Yun-Ju Choi, Executive Director, Coalition for a Better Acre. “This vital support will allow CBA to provide internet access, internet-ready devices, and technical assistance to dozens of households in our community. As we have all learned, access to reliable and easy to use technology has become essential in the COVID-19 world as a means of participating in education, healthcare, public benefits like unemployment, and social services.”

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

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Greater Lowell Community Foundation awards additional COVID-19 relief grants to 27 nonprofits in latest round

University of Massachusetts Foundation received a recent grant to provide emergency funds to 1st generation students enrolled in UML’s River Hawk Scholars Academy from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund. 

LOWELL – The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) announced a new round of grant funding totaling more than $436,000 to 27 area nonprofit organizations to provide COVID-19 assistance.

The grants were part of the fifth round of distributions to assist area nonprofits serving vulnerable populations during the coronavirus pandemic. To date, nearly $2 million in grants have been distributed to 92 nonprofits serving Greater Lowell.

“As we enter into the fourth month of this pandemic, we remain committed to doing all that we can to meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations in our community,” said GLCF President & CEO Jay Linnehan.  “Our partnership with the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund utilizes the local relationships and knowledge of the foundation to strategically allocate significant resources to Greater Lowell.”

The following 16 nonprofits receiving grants in the latest round of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund are:

  • Burlington Food Pantry FS: People Helping People Inc. – purchase food for distribution and sanitation supplies
  • Community Teamwork, Inc. – funds will be used to provide financial support to low-income residents for housing
  • Dwelling House of Hope, Inc. – provide food and other basic necessities for families
  • Gaining Ground, Inc. – provide between 200 and 300 pounds of fresh produce per week to people in need
  • International Institute of Lowell – Housing sustainability for immigrant families and individuals in Lowell
  • Life Connection Center, Inc. – staffing and sanitation support
  • Lowell House, Inc. – support additional staffing for 24/7 hotline; to provide food gift cards and other basic needs to support physical and mental health, client transit to medical appointments; to support a complete sanitizing of facility in preparation for reopening to day programs
  • Lowell Transitional Living Center, Inc. – disinfecting and cleaning of the shelter
  • Mill City Grows, Inc. – to reduce food instability through Mobile Market and Community Supported Agriculture programs
  • One Can Help, Inc. – provide emergency eCards for the purchase of food and basic needs for at-risk and foster children in Greater Lowell
  • Open Pantry of Greater Lowell, Inc. – purchase food for distribution and sanitation supplies
  • Pepperell Aid from Community to Home Outreach (PACH Outreach) – purchase food for distribution and sanitation supplies
  • The Megan House Foundation, Inc. – food for residents, sanitation supplies, hygiene products
  • University of Massachusetts Foundation – to provide emergency funds to 1st generation students enrolled in UML’s River Hawk Scholars Academy
  • Wayside Youth & Family Support Network – to support sanitation and groceries/food/basic needs
  • Westford Food Pantry – to purchase food and sanitation supplies for distribution

The grants are thanks to funding from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund. The Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund works in concert with regional community foundations and nonprofit leaders to support those across the state most impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis, focusing on essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations including the homeless, immigrant populations, people with disabilities and those facing food insecurity. For more information, visit MACovid19ReliefFund.org.

“UMass Lowell is so grateful for the support from the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. More than 60 first-generation college students will benefit from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund grant opportunity through GLCF,” said Matthew Hurwitz, Director, River Hawk Scholars Academy. “They are all, to a person, wonderful, deserving, and hard at work supporting themselves and their families as they pursue their degrees. This funding has made a real difference for them as they each deal with the challenges of COVID-19.”

Troubled Waters, Inc. received a grant from the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund for Recovery Coach training for 12 Greater Lowell residents.

The 11 nonprofits receiving grants in the latest round of the GLCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund are:

  • Aaron’s Presents – Job Skills Training for Teens
  • Dwelling House of Hope – Freezer
  • Kids in Tech – Fund for Digital Equity – STEMinar Curriculum
  • Lowell Telecommunications Corporation – Media Training/Support for Lowell Virtual Summer Programs for Youth
  • Power of Flowers Project – Support the Workshop Re-open Plan with COVID-19 requirements
  • Project Learn – Student Intern Stipends
  • Rise Above Foundation, Inc. – Technology & recreational equipment
  • Seven Hills Extended Care at Groton (Seven Hills Pediatric Center) – Connection to Family & Telehealth for Medically Complex Children with Disabilities
  • Strongwater Farm Therapeutic Equestrian Center – Support the Strongwater Farm Visiting Program
  • Troubled Waters, Inc. – Recovery Coach training for 12 Lowell area residents
  • VNA – PPE for Elders

“COVID-19 has brought issues relating to achieving digital equity to the forefront indefinitely,” said Olu Ibrahim, Founder & CEO, Kids in Tech. “Our Fund for Digital Equity sets out to ensure children have the technological capacity to participate in the labor market as empowered future employees, partake in educational opportunities, and engage positively online.  We are grateful to have Greater Lowell Community Foundations in this effort as we seek to ensure more kids are future ready through our afterschool and out-of-school programs.”

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

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A PACH volunteer restocks the shelves, PACH, who provides Pepperell and Dunstable residents in need with caring, compassionate assistance to meet their basic needs, received a recent grant from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund. 

GLCF awards nearly $140,000 in community grants to 21 local nonprofits

Grant recipients gathered at the Greater Lowell Community Foundation’s discretionary grant awards announcement ceremony on February 6, 2020. Nearly $140,000 in competitive grants were awarded to 21 local nonprofits.

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation celebrated and honored the work of local nonprofits at its Discretionary Grants Program announcement reception on Thursday, Feb. 6.  Nearly $140,000 in competitive grants were awarded to 21 local nonprofits within a framework of Social Education, Children’s Services, Elder Services and Water Resources initiatives.  The focused areas collectively work toward creating a better quality of life for all residents in Greater Lowell.

These grant awards are part of a competitive grant process in which nonprofit organizations apply for funds and an independent committee reviews the proposals and selects awardees. The Discretionary Grants Program is one of several competitive grant programs offered through the Community Foundation each year.

“Through generous contributions from our community, we are thrilled we have been able to grow our assets as a foundation in order to provide increased critical financial support through our grants program to nonprofits serving Greater Lowell,” said GLCF President and CEO Jay Linnehan. “We know this support allows our community to thrive now and in the future.”

2019 Discretionary Grants

Social Education Grants

  • International Institute of New England (Lowell):  Citizenship Education and Application Services (CEAS) – $15,000       
  • Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust: Youth Climate Action – $7,500    
  • Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership: Project Genesis – $15,000
  • Lowell Middlesex Academy Charter School: Youth Advocating for Reduced Gun Violence – $3,067
  • Mill City Grows: Food Justice Squad – $15,000
  • Playworks New England (Boston): TeamUp Program in Lowell – $5,000
  • Project LEARN, Inc.: Portrait of a Graduate – $15,000

Children’s Services Grant

  • Aaron’s Presents (Andover): Empowering Youth Givers in Lowell – $5,000       
  • Budget Buddies (Chelmsford): Girl’s LIFE (Learning Independence through Financial
    Education) at Justice Resource Institute – $5,000
  • On The Move, Inc. (Methuen): Personalized Book Donations for Lowell
    Elementary Students – $2,500  
  • Raising A Reader Massachusetts (Boston): Raising A Reader Lowell – $2,500    

Leclair Elder Services Grant

  • Gaining Ground, Inc. (Concord): Growing Fresh Produce for Hunger Relief
    with Community Volunteers – $3,000   
  • Lowell Council on Aging: Khmer Senior Outreach – $5,500      
  • Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) (Cambridge):
    Lowell Immigrant & Elder Services Program – $3,500   
  • Merrimack Valley Food Bank: Mobile Pantry – $5,500  
  • Power of Flowers Project (Tewksbury): Individual Bouquet Deliveries
    and Flower Therapy Workshops – $5,500          
  • Project Citizenship (Boston): Citizenship for Elders in Greater Lowell – $5,000  
  • The Open Pantry of Greater Lowell: Food pantry – $5,500          

Water Resources Initiative Grant

  • Nashua River Watershed Association (Groton): Water Quality Monitoring
    for Improved Recreation and Aquatic Weed Control – $5,000    
  • Northeast Legal Aid, Inc.: Merrimack River Project – $5,000     
  • OARS, Inc. (Concord): Getting to Swimmable – Tracking bacteria pollution
    in the Lower Concord River – $5,000    

For more information on the Greater Lowell Community Foundation please visit www.glcfoundation.org.

About Greater Lowell Community Foundation

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation is a philanthropic organization comprised of over 350 funds, currently totaling over $40MM, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life in 20 neighboring cities and towns. The Community Foundation annually awards grants and scholarships to hundreds of worthy nonprofits and students. It is powered by the winning combination of donor-directed giving, personal attention from its staff, and an in-depth understanding of local needs. The generosity of our donors has enabled the Community Foundation to award more than $20 million to the Greater Lowell Community since 1999.

Tom Leggat Opportunities Fellowship Award Connects Local Youth Back to Nepal

Mentor Maria Cunha, Director of Out of School Youth Development Center and English Learner Institute at Middlesex Community College with 2019 Tom Leggat Opportunities Fellowship recipient Ashik Tamang.

Lowell, MA – Ashik Tamang is a young man who believes in giving back. Since arriving in the United States, Tamang has dreamed of returning to Nepal to give back to the children in the refugee camp where he lived from age 12 until he resettled in Lowell, Mass. in April of 2016. His dream was fast tracked this month when he received the Tom Leggat Opportunities Fellowship that will provide $5,000 to support his efforts to distribute educational supplies and hygiene kits to children within the refugee camp.

In fact, as a dean’s list student at Middlesex Community College, it was his mentor Maria Cunha, the Director of Out of School Youth Development Center and English Learner Institute who nominated Tamang for the Tom Leggat Opportunities Fellowship to support his dream of assisting children in Nepal. As Cunha noted, “I have been in my position for over 20 years and have worked with hundreds of young people but not too many have shown the compassion, determination and desire to learn and help others as Ashik.”

Ashik Tamang is extremely appreciative for the opportunity. “My project for helping refugee children in Nepal is not just a project for me, but a dream that I have been dreaming about since the time I myself spent in a refugee camp. I am lost for words to have received the 2019 Tom Leggat Opportunities Fellowship award. I can only picture the precious smiles that this project will bring to these children’s faces,” he shared.

2019 Tom Leggat Opportunities Fellowship recipient Ashik Tamang, second from left in front row, from a 10th grade photo with classmates and teachers in the refugee camp.

In 2015, the Trustees of the Theodore Edson Parker Foundation established the fellowship award at the Greater Lowell Community Foundation in honor of a former Trustee, Tom Leggat. The fellowship award recognizes Leggat’s interest in the advancement of youth as well as his dedication to the betterment of Lowell. The fund will allow the Greater Lowell Community Foundation to grant annually a fellowship award of up to $5,000 to at least one young promising Lowellian. The intent of the fellowship award is to provide an opportunity that may transform the recipient’s outlook on life, and encourage them to make positive life-altering choices. Past fellowships have included a summer music program at Berkley College of Music, travel to Cambodia to study traditional dance, and an intensive language program in China.

On October 22, the award was presented to Ashik Tamang at a luncheon hosted by the Greater Lowell Community Foundation and the Theodore Edson Parker Foundation at Cobblestone’s Restaurant in Lowell. Members of the Leggat family were in attendance as well as members of the Leggat Opportunities Fellowship Selection Committee. The Tom Leggat Opportunities Fellowship will cover the cost of Tamang’s travel to Nepal as well as supplies to distribute. Tamang plans to travel to Nepal in the spring of 2020.

Barbara Leggat, wife of the late Tom Leggat, Ashik Tamang 2019 Tom Leggat Opportunities Fellowship recipient, John Irza, son-in-law of the late Tom Leggat, Newell Flather, President of the Theodore Edson Parker Foundation, GLCF President and CEO Jay Linnehan and Leggat daughter Holly Ferguson.

GLCF Seeks Request for Proposals for 2019 Discretionary Grants

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation 2018 Discretionary Grant – Children’s Services recipient Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Inc.’s Young Company a professional theatre training program for high school students interested in all aspects of performing arts and new play development as a career.

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation will open its 2019 Discretionary Grant Cycle on October 1 and is seeking requests for proposals from nonprofit organizations. The Foundation will award $140,000 through the Discretionary Grant Cycle. Funding areas for 2019 include children’s services, elder services, water resources, and social education.

“Our community is fortunate to have a network of exceptional nonprofits that provide tremendous services,” said Jay Linnehan, Greater Lowell Community Foundation President and CEO. “Our generous donors have allowed us to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve with these grants. Together, we can do so much more.”

Nonprofit organizations serving the communities of Ashby, Ayer, Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Littleton, Lowell, Pepperell, Shirley, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsboro, Westford and Wilmington are invited to apply.

Grant applications must be submitted by noon on October 29, 2019. Grant recipients will be announced in January. Application information is available on the website: www.glcfoundation.org/grants.

For more information about the grant process, contact Fatima Palermo, GLCF Grants & Scholarship Coordinator with any questions at 978-970-1600 or fatima@glcfoundation.org.

NETSCOUT Awards Fifth Grant to Merrimack Valley Food Bank in Partnership with Greater Lowell Community Foundation

The Merrimack Valley Food Bank in Lowell received a recent $10,000 grant from NETSCOUT’s Heart of Giving community program through the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. From l to r: NETSCOUT’s Mike Worthington of Wilmington and Brian Muise of Westford, MVFB’s Kelly Proulx, NETSCOUT’s Susan Tu of Westford, MVFB’s Tammie Dubois, , NETSCOUT’s Kim Hampson of Shirley, Jeannette Blanchette of Westford and Maribel Lopez of Malden with GLCF President and CEO Jay Linnehan.

LOWELL, Mass. – The Greater Lowell Community Foundation, a philanthropic organization comprised of over 350 funds, currently totaling over $37MM, dedicated to improving the quality of life in 20 neighboring cities and towns, today announced that NETSCOUT, a leading provider of service assurance, security, and business analytics, has awarded its Heart of Giving community program’s fifth grant through the Greater Lowell Community Foundation Center for Business Philanthropy. The annual grant program builds relationships with nonprofit organizations and engages employees in learning about service opportunities in the communities of Greater Lowell, Massachusetts. This grant was awarded to Merrimack Valley Food Bank to support their mobile food pantry that serves elderly and disabled clients in the area.

“We are proud to be in the 5th year of the NETSCOUT Heart of Giving Community Grant at the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to connect philanthropic businesses and individuals to the needs of their communities,” said Jay Linnehan, president and CEO, Greater Lowell Community Foundation. “Giving back to the community in which it operates amplifies a company’s greater purpose and NETSCOUT demonstrates a tangible commitment to supporting important local causes.”

“With corporate philanthropy at the heart of the culture at NETSCOUT, we strive to grow our local community presence, leverage our technology resources and encourage our talented employees to actively serve our communities through our Heart of Giving program,” said Michael Szabados, chief operating officer at NETSCOUT. “Our employees selected Merrimack Valley Food Bank as this year’s grant recipient to support their mobile food pantry that provides home delivery of nutritious foods for low income, homebound elderly and disabled individuals. We look forward to participating in various service opportunities over the coming year.”

Merrimack Valley Food Bank executive director Amy Pessia said, “With the generous NETSCOUT Heart of Giving Grant, the Merrimack Valley Food Bank Mobile Pantry will be able to provide 12,960 meals to homebound seniors in greater Lowell.  Only through collaborative efforts can we improve the health and well-being of our vulnerable neighbors.  We are honored to partner with the team at NETSCOUT.”

The Grant Process
From reading a grant proposal to learning about the organizations in the community and filtering through the worthy applications in order to select the finalists, and participating in onsite work sessions with the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, employees have the opportunity to learn how nonprofits are addressing important issues in the community. From 10 grant submissions, three finalists were selected and invited to NETSCOUT corporate headquarters to share how their organizations would best serve the community, how they would use the grant funds, and their ideas for employee community service projects. The presentations were recorded for employees in NETSCOUT’s local office in Westford. The grant was awarded by NETSCOUT employees to Merrimack Valley Food Bank, to support their mobile pantry that serves elderly and disabled clients in the area and partnering with NETSCOUT employees on other service projects.

The NETSCOUT Heart of Giving corporate philanthropy program includes disaster relief, community service projects, nonprofit board service, employee matching gifts and corporate charitable contributions.

About Merrimack Valley Food Bank
The Merrimack Valley Food Bank Mobile Pantry in Lowell, Mass. is a community-based health and nutrition service program that offers home delivery of nutritious foods specifically tailored to meet the health and dietary requirements of low income, homebound elderly and disabled individuals. The program is not a shopping service but rather helps to reduce the recipient’s monthly grocery expenses. The program focuses on creating a better quality of life for each client by reinforcing healthy eating habits and encouraging clients to remain socially active, despite their disability. Proper nutrition is essential to good health and successful aging that enhances the quality of life for older adults.

About NETSCOUT
NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: NTCT) assures digital business services against disruptions in availability, performance, and security. Our market and technology leadership stems from combining our patented smart data technology with smart analytics. We provide real-time, pervasive visibility, and insights customers need to accelerate and secure their digital transformation. Our approach transforms the way organizations plan, deliver, integrate, test, and deploy services and applications. Our nGenius service assurance solutions provide real-time, contextual analysis of service, network, and application performance. Arbor security solutions help protect against DDoS attacks that threaten availability and advanced threats that infiltrate networks to steal critical business assets. To learn more about improving service, network, and application performance in physical or virtual data centers, or in the cloud, and how NETSCOUT’s performance and security solutions, powered by service intelligence can help you move forward with confidence, visit http://www.netscout.com or follow @NETSCOUT and @ArborNetworks on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

About Greater Lowell Community Foundation
The Greater Lowell Community Foundation is a philanthropic organization comprised of over 350 funds, currently totaling over $37MM, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life in 20 neighboring cities and towns. The Community Foundation annually awards grants and scholarships to hundreds of worthy nonprofits and students, and is powered by the winning combination of donor-directed giving, personal attention from its staff, and an in-depth understanding of local needs. The generosity of our donors has enabled the Community Foundation to award over $15 million to the Greater Lowell Community since 1999. For more information on the Greater Lowell Community Foundation please visit www.glcfoundation.org.

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GLCF, CTI and Middlesex District Attorney’s Office Partner in Drug Court Transportation Project

Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) receives $10,000 Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) Grant

Greater Lowell Community Foundation’s Annual Meeting keynote speaker Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan announced the Drug Court Transportation pilot program grant to 150 business leaders, nonprofit professionals, and community members at the Radisson in Chelmsford on June 5, 2018.

Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI), Greater Lowell Community Foundation and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office are announcing a first-of-its kind partnership to provide transportation to individuals to and from Drug Court. Last year CTI received a $10,000 grant from the Greater Lowell Community Foundation to help start the pilot program, which kicked off in October, and is currently providing services three women who are being picked up from a Lynn Sober House and transported to their court appearances. The goal is to accommodate up to 13 individuals each week.

“This partnership with the office of District Attorney Marian T. Ryan, Community Teamwork and the Drug Court is the capstone of a multi-year commitment to fund programs for opioid prevention and treatment in our area and help ensure success for participants. In response to the opioid epidemic, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $160,000 in discretionary funds to support local
nonprofits,” said Greater Lowell Community Foundation President and CEO Jay Linnehan.

“By providing this transportation option we are filling a service gap that was prohibiting some
individuals from easily accessing the courts, which is essential to successful completion of drug
court,” said District Attorney Ryan. “We continue to work with the courts and our community
partners to ensure the criminal justice system is not just punitive. To do this we need to think
outside the box to come up with innovative solutions that will hopefully lead to a successful
outcome and ultimately interrupt the often cyclical effects of substance use disorders.”

The Drug Court is a special session within Massachusetts district courts where judges, prosecutors,
defense attorneys, probation officers, police and social-service workers team up to work with
defendants on probation whose crimes were motivated by substance abuse. Many defendants are placed where treatment beds are available, which can be located in Sober Houses far from their community and the Drug Court. These defendants risk violating probation because they are unable to secure transportation to attend their trial. In addition, various modes of transportation, such as public transportation and taxis can be cost prohibitive and often defendants can find themselves back in the neighborhoods and streets where drugs are being sold.

Community Teamwork recognized that its Transportation Department, which brings children to and from school, had flexibility to use drivers and vehicles during the school day to respond to other
community needs. With funding from the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, CTI is deploying
drivers and vehicles to fill this need. GLCF provided a $10,000 grant to support the cost of a
driver and van for Community Teamwork to facilitate this innovative approach to assist the Drug
Court and its clients. Together, CTI, GLCF and the Drug Court probation officers developed a
framework for what the program might look like as well as a strict Code of Conduct which the
participants would have to follow in order to receive the benefit of this program.

“Most often, these defendants are in need of other basic services which CTI can provide, such as
housing, financial literacy, child care, etc. Through this pilot program, which can send employees
from CTI to work with the probation officials and social workers, we are able to identify the
various resources available to the defendants. We could not have taken this novel approach without
the help of this grant from GLCF,” stated Meghan Siembor, Director of Child and Family Services.

About Community Teamwork

Community Teamwork is a catalyst for social change. Our driving mission is to help people help
themselves with child care, family supports, nutrition, fuel assistance, housing, skills training,
employment, financial education, and individual asset and small business development. As a
Community Action Agency, a Regional Housing Agency, and a Community Development Corporation,
Community Teamwork helps nearly 50,000 individuals from 63 cities and towns in northeastern
Massachusetts gain greater economic independence.

About the Greater Lowell Community Foundation

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation is a philanthropic organization comprised of over 350
funds, currently totaling over $35MM, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life in 20
neighboring cities and towns. The Community Foundation annually awards grants and scholarships to
hundreds of worthy nonprofits and students, and is powered by the winning combination of
donor-directed giving, personal attention from its staff, and an in-depth understanding of local
needs. The generosity of our donors has enabled the

Community Foundation to award more than $13 million to the Greater Lowell Community since 1999.

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