BCAT News

Lahey Hospital & Medical Centers is awarding $238,000 in grant funding to 13 community-based organizations, including the Burlington Council On Aging. These grants are being awarded as part of Lahey’s ongoing community benefits commitment for local organizations in support of their mission to meet their community’s needs. The grant awards are programs and services that focus on food access, mental health, transportation, and housing stability — needs that were identified in the hospital’s recent Community Health Needs Assessment. Lahey Interim President Timothy Liesching, MD spoke on providing funds to local organizations

“These organizations share Lahey Hospital & Medical Center’s mission to ensure the needs of communities we serve are being met,” said Liesching. “We are proud to help support organizations that are giving back to their communities through our community benefits program.”

Grant recipients include:

Burlington Council on Aging Fitness Classes: Grant funding will support fitness classes for seniors to help them maintain or increase their strength, agility, and balance.

Burlington Council on Aging Memory Café: Grant funding will help the Burlington Council on Aging to hold one Memory Café a month to offer lunch and some form of activity or entertainment to provide a couple of hours of connecting with each other and taking a break from daily life.

Minuteman Senior Services: Funding will support the Regional SHINE Program which provides Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers and families with no cost Medicare and public health benefits counseling at 20 locations in an 18-community service area including Arlington, Burlington, and Winchester.

Saheli: Funding will support community health outreach, and engagement and education for Arab and South Asian domestic immigrants and their families. Saheli will assist immigrants to improve access and engagement of health and safety services and education and engagements with medical and mental health providers.

The Center for Hope and Healing, Inc: Grant funding will support “The Reducing Barriers for Underserved Sexual Assault Survivors” program to provide capacity building to CHH counseling staff to support BIPOC survivors of sexual assault and substance use disorder and conduct a needs assessment to identify barriers and opportunities in delivering support groups.

The North Suburban YMCA’s Livestrong and Enhance Fitness programs:  Grant funding supports Livestrong at the YMCA, to assist those who are living with, though, or beyond cancer to strengthen their body, mind and spirit. Enhance Fitness, an exercise program for older adults that uses simple, easy-to learn movements that motivate individuals to stay active and prevent falls.

Housing Corporation of Arlington, Affordable Housing, Family Stability, and Tenant Leadership Development in Arlington: Grant funding will help provide an integrated set of social service programs that provide affordable housing.

Lowell Community Health Center: Grand funding will support the Health Equity Through Language Access Project, which ensures that each and every patient has access to health care in a language they understand.

Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Community Market: The grant funding will help bring fresh produce to public housing residents. 

Metro North YMCA Enhance Fitness: Funding will support a group exercise program for older adults that uses simple, easy-to-learn movements.

Mill City Grows: Grant funding will support Community and School Gardens to increase parent engagement in School Garden Education.

North Shore Community Health Center School Based Health Center: The grant funding will support “To Create Safe Spaces for all Students to Access Services and Thrive”.

Place of Promise: Grant funding will support the Residential Addiction Recovery Program for Underserved Men & Women.