The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod Charitable Foundation Trust has awarded $35,500 in grants to local nonprofit organizations dedicated to serving the critical needs of the communities it serves. During the recent quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees, the following new grants were awarded:
- $30,000 ($10,000 for three years) to Hyannis Public Library to be used toward the library’s $8.1 million renovation project to transform the more than one century old facility into a modern, versatile and essential public resource for the community. The renovation will provide accessibility for all, including visitors with low vision, the deaf and hard of hearing, English language learners and neurodivergent individuals. Also included in the project is the purchase and installation of new mobile furnishings and equipment, as well as significant technology and connectivity upgrades.
- $7,500 to Cape Cod Times Needy Fund to support its Basic Needs for Vulnerable Residents (BNVR) program that provides financial assistance for basic human needs and tools and information such as in-depth resource and referral counseling to help households attain future sustainability. The program serves more than 4,000 of the Cape and Islands’ most vulnerable residents in need annually, helping to prevent homelessness, hunger and loss of utilities, transportation or childcare.
- $5,000 to Champ Homes, a Hyannis-based organization that provides supportive, sober transitional housing to individuals over the age of 18 who are struggling with housing instability due to a variety of reasons, including the region’s severe housing crisis. The grant will support its Transitional Housing Assistance program, which addresses immediate concerns such as hot showers, clean towels, clothing and toiletries, an address for mail services and food. Additionally, participants work closely with a team of care coordinators to navigate continuing education, access healthcare, complete housing applications, obtain employment, and learn to advocate for themselves.
- $5,000 to Lower Cape Outreach Council to support its nine emergency food pantries on the Lower and Outer Cape. The grant will help mitigate costs of providing clients with fresh produce, proteins and non-perishable products.
- $3,000 to Cape Cod Brite Lights to help alleviate food insecurity and provide basic hygiene and feminine hygiene items to students in the Dennis-Yarmouth School District and Cape Cod Technical High School in Harwich. Founded in 2020 to provide weekend nutritional support to students in need, the program now serves more than 50 students and continues to grow.
- $5,000 installment of five-year $25,000 grant award to Outer Cape Health Services to support the now completed renovation and expansion of its medical center in Harwich.
In addition, The Coop successfully nominated Good Grief Cape Cod for a $2,500 Massachusetts Bankers Association Community Grant Award. Good Grief Cape Cod is an organization that promotes positive change to how society responds to grief in children and young people by providing community engagement opportunities, sharing information and offering educational workshops with the goal of helping children and families cope with death.
“The beneficiaries of this quarter’s Coop Foundation grants are collectively making our communities better and more equitable places to live, work and thrive,” said Lisa Oliver, Chair, President and CEO, The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod. “As a true community bank, we have a responsibility to support nonprofit organizations that are working tirelessly to help our neighbors affected by poverty, housing instability, food insecurity and inaccessibility to public spaces.”