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July 2019 Save the Date: GLCF's Celebrate Giving Oct. 15 (note: date change) UML ICC GLCF in the NEWS CMAA Agency Fund (7/19/19) Cobblestones celebrates 25 years of excellence (7/15/19, Lowell Sun) Custom MMIC Announces the 2019 Women in Engineering Scholarship Recipients (Custom MMIC, 7/17/19) Custom MMIC Provides Opportunity for Women in Engineering (MVM Noteworthy, 7/7/19) CTI Leads the Way Home (Lowell Sun, 7/8/19) GLCF Board Member Susanne Beaton Honored (Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union PR, 6/26/19) Concord resident elected to Greater Lowell Community Foundation Board (Concord Journal, 6/25/19) VIDEO Leaders in Lowell presents Lessons in Leadership with Rena Finder (7/21/19) GLCF 2019 Annual Meeting (event date on 6/13/19) Dacey's Divas: Episode 155 – Christa Brown from Free Soil Arts (Chelmsford TV - 7/23/19) Community Events Aug. 2: Lowell Waterways Vitality Initiative's Canalside Arts, Lucy Larcom Park Aug. 8: Hidden Battles' Baseball for Vets, Lowell Spinners Aug. 16: Lowell Waterways Vitality Initiative's Canalside Arts, Ecumenical Plaza August 25: The Center for Hope and Healing’s 5th Annual Family Festival, Shedd Park A Message from the President & CEO Friends, There are certain experiences we have in life that we’ll never forget – sometimes they change the way we think and the way we act. Last month, I had the great privilege to meet and then listen to Rena Finder, a survivor of the Holocaust. She gave a very moving and emotional talk on the horrors of her experience at the hands of the Nazi’s, countered with the amazing kindness of others that ensured her survival. Her message was clear: “always treat others with kindness and there is never any excuse to be a bystander”.  Here is the link to her full presentation. So gather a few friends, especially your children, and click on it– you will be moved – and keep in mind the words of Martin Niemoller, a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany. He emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps: First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. As Americans, not only do we have the right to speak out against injustice, we have an obligation. You can’t be heard if you don’t speak. Regards, James F. Linnehan Jr. President & CEO

GLCF Spotlights

GLCF Agency Funds More than 40 Greater Lowell/Merrimack Valley Nonprofit Agencies have established funds at the Foundation.  Agency Funds at GLCF offer a reliable source of financial support for the organization, earning interest through pooled investments. A permanent endowment fund gives organizations the opportunity to create a fund that generates investment income, year after year, which can be drawn down in set annual payments to the organization, or reinvested in the fund to grow over time. LEARN MORE. Greater Lowell Community Foundation Announces New Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association Agency Fund The Greater Lowell Community Foundation announces the creation of the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association (CMAA) Agency Fund. This new agency fund provides annual and capital support to the association to fulfill their mission to improve the quality of life for Cambodian Americans and other minorities as well as economically disadvantaged persons in Lowell through educational, cultural, economic and social programs. “We are proud to hold an endowment fund with the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. We wanted to invest in the future of our community and found that this is a great option for CMAA. We look forward to providing scholarships to young people who will make a difference today and, in the future,” said Sovanna Pouv, Executive Director, CMAA. Read More

Custom MMIC Awards 2019 “Women in Engineering” Scholarships Custom MMIC of Chelmsford, in partnership with Greater Lowell Community Foundation, recently awarded three local women engineering scholarships to further their academic work and scientific aspirations. The three recipients for 2019 are: Lillian Geller (Westford Academy), Ananya Srinivasa-Gopalan (Chelmsford High School) and Lina Abu-Absi (Groton-Dunstable Regional High School). These candidates were carefully selected from a large group of well-qualified and thoroughly impressive applicants from the three target high schools in towns near Custom MMIC’s facility. The total amount awarded to the three women is $240,000 over four years. Read More From l-r: Custom MMIC CEO Paul Blount, with 2019 scholarship recipients: Lina Abu-Absi; Ananya Srinivasa-Gopalan; Lillian Geller; with GLCF CEO Linnehan

VOLUNTEERS WANTED LKSR is also seeking volunteers to help make this amazing event happen. If interested,  click here . Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race Imagine the ultimate intersection of Arts and STEM - with a lot of creativity and a dash of lunacy! GLCF is proud to help sponsor this year’s  Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race  (LKSR) on Saturday, September 21 st .  Come watch these wildly innovative all-terrain, human-powered, kinetic art sculptures, race through Lowell over road, water, mud and sand.

The Lowell Waterways Vitality Initiative is a partnership coalition created by Lowell Heritage Partnership cooperatively with the City of Lowell, Greater Lowell Community Foundation, Lowell National Historical Park and others. Its mission is to enhance the everyday experience of people in Lowell by making the city’s historic waterways more accessible, active, and vibrant. Lowell Waterways Vitality Initiative Job Posting: Project Director (Part-Time) Lowell Waterways Vitality Plan. Learn more:  http://bit.ly/2JComN9 Upcoming Events: Aug. 2 - Canalside Arts Lucy Larcom Park Aug. 16 - Canalside Arts Ecumenical Plaza Sept. 20 - Canalside Arts Kerouac Park Learn More

GLCF Board Member Susanne Beaton Honored Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union recently awarded a total of $1,000 to four local “Hometown Heroes” through its Small Acts That Give Back initiative. Throughout the month of May, the Credit Union gave community members the chance to nominate someone they know who goes above and beyond in their community. Between April 29th and May 24th, Jeanne D’Arc received a total of 35 submissions, all of which described someone who has made a positive impact on the lives of others. The Credit Union announced Kwame Asamoah-Addo of Lowell, Susanne Beaton of Lowell, H. David ‘Dave’ Reed of Carlisle, and Craig Schorer of Andover as winners of the 2019 Hometown Hero campaign. Read More

Rachel Morrison Memorial Fund Golf Tournament SAVE THE DATE: 6th Annual Rachel Morrison Memorial Fund Golf Tournament at Vesper Country Club on Monday, September 16, 2019.  Register here . For additional information, contact: johnemorrison1977@gmail.com

The Rachel Morrison Memorial Fund is a component of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation.

Focus on GLCF Fiscal Sponsorship

Leaders in Lowell: Lessons in Leadership with Rena Finder

Click to see the Video Leaders in Lowell (LIL) presented Lessons in Leadership with Rena Finder , a survivor of the Holocaust and one of the youngest saved by Oskar Schindler on June 26 th , 2019. She spoke with LIL at the Nancy and Richard Donahue Family Academic Arts Center to nearly 100 people. Ms. Finder was born in Poland in 1929 and her family was later moved to the Krakow Ghetto before she was transported with her mother to the Plaszow concentration camp and later Auschwitz-Birkenau. She was saved from an almost certain death by the Nazi-businessman Oskar Schindler who saved over 1,200 Jews during the second world war.  She gave a very moving and emotional talk on the horrors of her experience as well as the kindness she was shown by people and the immense effects that it had on her life and survival. The emphasis on the key values of kindness, tolerance, and the fact that we are all the same and deserve fair treatment and happiness. The message could not have been clearer, we must live our lives and treat others with kindness. It was a truly moving and unforgettable experience with a message that should never be forgotten. To learn more about Leaders in Lowell, visit their website:  www.leadersinlowell.org

GLCF Grants in Action

LHS Fine Arts Department presents Shrek the Musical: A GLCF Community Needs Fund Grant

In May, the Lowell High School Fine Arts Department presented a production of the musical, SHREK, with grant support from the GLCF. " We had a wonderful production this year and we truly appreciate the support of the GLCF. With the GLCF grant, discounted ticket prices were offered for LHS students and we were able to provide tickets to those who could not afford to attend. In addition, a portion of the funds were used to help off-​set some of the production costs since each production at LHS is financed through fundraising and donations," said Sharon A. Clark, Ed.D, LHS Fine Arts Department Chair. The grant award is part of the GLCF President’s Discretionary Fund that enables Foundation leadership to respond quickly to community needs. This grant is one of the many grant programs offered through the Community Foundation.

Partners in Philanthropy

PREMIER PARTNER:

PLATINUM PARTNERS: Nancy L. Donahue

GOLD PARTNERS:

SILVER PARTNERS:

A complete list of our sponsors is viewable on the Foundation's website (click here).

www.glcfoundation.org 978-970-1600

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GLCF is Confirmed in Compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. Our accreditation provides assurance that we have sound policies and practices in place. In short, it means we meet the highest standards for local giving.