The Women's Fund of Essex County (TWF) recently announced it awarded annual grant funding totaling $250,000 to 34 non-profit organizations dedicated to transforming the lives of women and girls throughout Essex County.
"Supporting the essential needs of women and girls that lead to economic self-sufficiency remains at the center of TWF's funding, especially for those who have been the most vulnerable to the economic and social implications of the pandemic and beyond," said Trish Moore, co-president of The Women’s Fund of Essex County.
“By making bold investments in a wide range of organizations working to address the most pressing issues facing women and girls throughout Essex County, we strive to be a catalyst for change in their lives. To ensure they will have opportunities and pathways to grow and reach their full potential,” co-president Wendy Roworth said. “The TWF firmly believes that stronger women and girls build stronger families, and stronger families build stronger communities.”
TWF awarded the following organizations grants for their ongoing work and commitment to the advancement, self-sufficiency, and economic and social equity of local women and girls:
● Amirah, Inc., Lynn | for Sexual Trafficking Victims Recovery program.
● Beyond Soccer, Lawrence | for the “Beyond Fab” program at Lawrence High School, helping students develop stronger social-emotional learning skills.
● Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, Essex County | for the expansion of Big Sister | Little Sister resources and services throughout Essex County.
● Blessed Bellesini Academy, Lawrence | to support the middle school's innovative "Education Opens Doors" curriculum, which provides quality scholarship education for young women with limited financial means living in Lawrence, helping them prepare for competitive secondary schools and colleges.
● Budget Buddies, Gloucester, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lynn | for the expansion of the financial literacy mentorship program specifically designed to assist lower-income women and their families.
● Bridgewell Inc., Greater Lynn | to fund extra-curricular activities for women and families in the organization's permanent affordable housing program.
● Centerboard, Lynn | for the organization's “We Rise” program focused on preventing sexual exploitation of children.
● Chica Project, Greater Lawrence | to support youth education and mentorship programs for Latina girls in Lawrence.
● Ellie Fund, Essex County | to strengthen free critical support services for breast cancer patients in Essex County, including access to clinical trials, transportation, groceries, emotional support, housekeeping, and childcare.
● Esperanza Academy, Lawrence | for programs to encourage Esperanza students to remain in school and pursue their career aspirations.
● Essex County Community Organization, Lynn, Saugus, Peabody, Beverly, Gloucester | for affordable housing legislation counseling and advocacy programs.
● Girls Inc. of Lynn, Lynn | for college readiness mentorship programs for young women.
● Harvey Girls Inc., Lawrence, Methuen, Andover | to provide high-risk women in the Merrimack Valley with emotional support programs and physical items needed to be productive community members.
● HAWC-Healing Abuse Working for Change, Essex County | for programs that offer counseling to victims of domestic violence.
● Jeanne Geiger Crisis, Newburyport, Haverhill | for Girls Inc. programming at Lawrence Catholic Academy because girls empowered through education are less likely to become victims of domestic violence.
● Lawrence Community Works, Lawrence | to provide child care for parents in ESOL classes through the Lawrence Working Families Initiative.
● Lawrence Family Development & Ed Fund, Lawrence, Methuen | continuing to support the SISU program for at-risk young women aged 16 to 24 years pursuing their GED.
● LEAP for Education, Salem, Lynn | to strengthen and expand social-emotional support programming for girls and young women in the greater Lynn community.
● Lifebridge, Salem, Beverly | for mental health counseling and housing for women struggling with homelessness.
● Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, Lynn | for the "A "Bed for Every Child" initiative and youth STEM programs in Lynn, designed to help youth who are at-risk or experiencing homelessness.
● Merrimack Valley Immigrant and Education Center, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill | for programs and services to support low-income immigrants (60 percent women), including ESOL classes and programs that help clients obtain health insurance, access food banks/food stamps and affordable housing.
● Notre Dame Education Center, Lawrence | for The Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide Training Program.
● Our Neighbor's Table, Amesbury, Byfield, Newburyport, Groveland | for grocery and nutrition programs that help alleviate food insecurity for women and their families in crisis.
● Pathways for Children, Cape Ann | for the Family Enrichment Program to help reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect.
● Raw Art Works, Lynn | continued support of innovative girls' art therapy programs that are even more critical to this specific population now with the rise of mental health issues in teen girls.
● Roca Inc., Lynn, Salem | to strengthen the High-Risk Young Mothers Program in Lynn.
● Self-Esteem Boston, Lawrence, Lynn | for support programs for women in recovery programs and those living in transitional housing.
● The Haven Project, Greater Lynn | for job skills programs for young, homeless women.
● The New American Association of Massachusetts, Lynn | for the Afghan Refugee Women Community Sewing Program.
● The Open Door, Cape Ann | continued support for local women and children requiring basic food needs with funding for healthy food for children and family programs.
● The Welcome Immigrant Network, Beverly, Peabody, Salem | for financial literacy program and immigration support services.
● Wellspring, Inc., Cape Ann | continued support for Homelessness Prevention and Family Stabilization programs.
● Three Sisters Garden Project, Ipswich, Rowley, Boxford, Gloucester | for the Meal Kit Program, produced in collaboration with Root Inc. and Soup Share, providing low-income families with healthy ingredients and instruction to prepare nutritious meals.
● Uncommon Threads, Lawrence | continued support for the self-esteem program for financially disadvantaged women trying to get back in the workforce with personal development coaching and individualized wardrobe styling.
To learn more about the work of The Women’s Fund of Essex County, ways to get involved or support this all-volunteer organization, please visit thewomensfundec.org.
The Women's Fund of Essex County has raised and awarded more than $3 million to high-impact non-profit partners that provide local women, girls, and their families with the resources they need to find success at work, school, home, and life. The organization has been recognized with the George Peabody Award for Leadership in Philanthropy by the Essex County Community Foundation and the Champions Award for Community Impact by North Shore Community College, and the Constance Grasso Award from the YWCA of Greater Newburyport. The Women's Fund of Essex County is an all-volunteer organization supported entirely by generous donors whose philanthropy supports a portfolio of programs impacting local women and girls. (thewomensfundec.org)
The Women’s Fund of Essex County is a field of interest fund of the Essex County Community Foundation.
