From left to right, Leslie Zales; Marcia Gens, LexGWAC; George Murnaghan, Lex Eat Together; Ricki Pappo, LexGWAC; Susan Schiffer, LexFarm; Allison Guerette, LexFarm; Gerard Cody, Lexington Office of Public Health.
Grants Will Aid Health & Human Services, Ecological Well-Being, And Community Building Initiatives
June 10, 2016: The Community Endowment of Lexington (CEL), an endowed fund of Foundation for MetroWest, recently hosted its third annual Grant Award Ceremony at the Lexington Community Center where they distributed $30,000 to four local nonprofit organizations in the areas of Health & Human Services, Ecological Well-Being, and Community Building. To date, CEL has granted more than $80,000 to 13 nonprofit organizations serving the Lexington community.
Leslie Zales, outgoing CEL Chair reflected on a “pioneering year”, especially in the areas of fundraising and community awareness. “It is truly wonderful watching this initiative take hold in Lexington – from the generosity of the community in response to the Leslie and Colin Masson Challenge to the diversity and number of organizations working to enrich our town, including tonight’s grantees.”
At the event, the Chinese American Association of Lexington, Lexx Restaurant, and Finnegan Development were recognized for their vision, commitment and community support as CEL Civic Founders. Additionally, the event celebrated the service of retiring board members Pauline Benninga, Lisa Spitz and youth representative to the Board, Hannah Cutler.
2016 Grantees:
• Lexington Community Farm Coalition ($10,000)
To enable the organization to move to the next level in their growth, providing consulting services for board development, an analytics dashboard, and a business plan for long-term planning across the different program areas.
• Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition ($7,500)
To run a large scale “Sustainability Fair” coordinating initiatives by and for Lexington town government, businesses, and residents highlighting health, energy, resilience, and sustainability in the face of climate change.
• Lexington Office of Public Health ($7,500)
To do a quantitative tick survey in order to assess the risks to the community and provide an educational public health program for residents about tick-borne diseases.
• Lex Eat Together ($5,000)
To pilot a transportation program for greater and broader access to their weekly dinners by those who do not have access to needed transportation.
About the Community Endowment of Lexington:
The Community Endowment of Lexington, an endowed fund of the Foundation for MetroWest, promotes a spirit of philanthropic giving to help enhance the quality of life for all Lexington residents now, and for the future. CEL is a permanent grantmaking source of funding to support our community needs and opportunities, and provide ways for donors to give back or leave a legacy to our community. For more information, visit www.lexingtonendowment.org.
About Foundation for MetroWest
Established in 1995, the Foundation for MetroWest is the only community foundation serving the 33 cities and towns in the region. We promote philanthropy in the region, help donors maximize the impact of their local giving, serve as a resource for local nonprofits and enhance the quality of life for all our residents. Since inception, the Foundation has granted $11.6 million to charitable organizations and currently stewards more than $16 million in charitable assets for current needs and future impact.
