The Community Endowment of Lexington is proud to announce our 2020 grantees—seven diverse nonprofits and town agencies working to strengthen our community for all those who live and work in Lexington.
This year, CEL is awarding more than $33,000 to organizations focusing in our four grantmaking areas: arts and culture, health and human services, the environment, and community building. These organizations were selected through our annual competitive grant process. Our thanks go out to the volunteers who gave of their time to undertake a thoughtful and considered review of all of the impressive applicants.
In addition to these grants, earlier this spring, CEL gave a total of $15,000 in emergency COVID-19 relief funding, equally distributed between the Lexington Interfaith Food Pantry, Lexington Symphony, and Munroe Center for the Arts, bringing our total of giving in 2020 so far to $48,000.
Our 2020 grantees include:
Arts & Culture/Community Building
CAAL’s project is to showcase a collection of photos of Lexington’s Asian community, reflecting the members’ community engagement and rich heritage. These photos will be on display in Cary Memorial Library. Project collaborators include the Indian American Association of Lexington, KoLex, JPLex, and the Boston Chinese Photography Association. This project is designed to promote a culture of respect and awareness in Lexington. Learn more at http://caal-ma.org/.
Health & Human Services/Environment
This grant will aid FoodLink in expanding its food rescue efforts in Lexington in order to support residents facing food insecurity. Learn more at https://www.foodlinkma.org/.
Arts & Culture/Community Building
CEL’s grant will underwrite components of the Lexington Historical Society’s
Lexington Remembers WWII in 2020, which will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Running through November, this project will consist of living history programs, lectures, displays, and more. Learn more at https://www.lexingtonhistory.org/.
Environment
CEL will fund LEXscape, a sustainable beautification project that improves the quality of affordable housing managed by LexHAB. Learn more at https://www.lexingtonma.gov/lexington-housing-assistance-board-lexhab.
Health & Human Services
CEL will support the expansion of LYFS’s short-term therapeutic services, which are offered free of charge to youth, ages six to twenty-two, and families who cannot otherwise access mental health supports. Learn more at https://www.lyfsinc.org/.
Arts & Culture/Community Building
CEL will fund a Special Artists Art Exhibit Series, which will be on display in Lexington Town Center in 2020. Learn more at http://www.snaparts.org/.
Arts & Culture
This grant from CEL will underwrite the costs of refurbishing thirteen of the corps’ original drums, thereby extending the instruments’ use for another generation of music and history lovers. Learn more at https://williamdiamondjrs.org/.
