The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod Charitable Foundation Trust (The Coop Foundation) has awarded $26,000 in grants to five nonprofit organizations that enhance quality of life by addressing fundamental needs and challenges of the local community.
During the quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees, the following grants were awarded:
- $10,000 to the Falmouth Housing Trust New Projects Fund that enables the organization to quickly respond to opportunities to acquire property; develop affordable housing that meets the needs, character and best interest of the community; and help the Town of Falmouth work toward its 10% affordable housing goal. This grant will specifically support two affordable housing projects in process: Lewis Neck Road and Esker Place in Falmouth. Between the properties, four homes will be added to Falmouth’s affordable housing stock.
- $5,000 to Lower Cape Leadership Forum to continue a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training program that began earlier this year. The Forum is a collaboration of six Cape Cod organizations that work to enhance the quality of human services to low- and moderate-income families on the Lower and Outer Cape. Forum members include Cape Cod Children’s Place; Community Development Partnership; The Family Pantry of Cape Cod; Homeless Prevention Council; Helping Our Women; and WE CAN. The organizations each serve diverse populations, underlying the critical need for DEI training to enhance knowledge, skills and actions to improve the quality of services for each agency.
$4,000 to Camp Lightbulb, one of the first overnight camps for LGBTQ+ youth in the nation. The grant will provide a full scholarship for three local youth for the 2022 three-week summer camp in Provincetown. Camp Lightbulb will give recipients the opportunity to explore their identity, the arts and the outdoors. - $4,000 to Duffy Health Center to help fund a part-time consultant for phase two of a medical respite program, established in collaboration with Cape Cod Healthcare and several other health and housing partners. Medical respite care is acute and post-acute medical care for homeless persons who are too ill or frail to recuperate from an illness or injury on the streets, but not ill enough to be hospitalized.
- $3,000 to Mass Appeal, a volunteer-staffed organization with a mission to provide free clothing to residents of the four towns on the Outer Cape: Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown. The grant will be used to purchase athletic shoes for children. Most items offered at Mass Appeal are donated, but the organization purchases new winter boots and sneakers annually using grant funds.
“Congratulations to the deserving nonprofits that have been recognized in the latest round of The Coop Foundation grant awards,” said Lisa Oliver, President, Chair and CEO of The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod. “These organizations have a meaningful impactful by providing services to our vulnerable and underserved neighbors. I hope these acts of kindness inspire all of us during this holiday season to support the many charitable causes serving the needs of Cape Cod residents.”