Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals Award $223,000 in Grant Funding to 11 Community Organizations

Beverly and Gloucester, MA – Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals have awarded $223,000 in grant funding to 11 community-based organizations. As part of an ongoing commitment to the communities the hospital serves, these grants will provide much-needed funding for local organizations in support of their shared mission to meet the community's needs. Particular emphasis for the grant awards are programs and services that focus on priority needs identified in the 2022 Community Health Needs assessment: Chronic/Complex Conditions, Mental Health & Substance Use, Equitable Access to Care, and Social Determinants of Health, with a focus on food and housing insecurity.

"We are proud to support organizations that give back to our communities," said Tom Sands, president of Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals. "By partnering with and investing in these organizations, we are able to expand our reach to help our most at-need residents and provide them with access to key services."

Grant recipients were selected by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Community Benefits Committee, comprised of hospital board members, hospital leaders and community-based organizations from across the service area.

Awardees include:

Action Inc. Welcome Home Program

Provides permanent housing and support services to chronically homeless individuals and families, in accordance with the Housing First model. The services provided include intensive, one-on-one case management tailored to each participant's individual needs, with the goal of helping them remain stable in their home.

Backyard Growers agriCulture on a Community Scale

A community-driven transformation of the garden in the Gloucester Housing Authority (GHA) Willowood neighborhood to provide a space where residents can grow and prepare healthy food, share knowledge and socialize.

Beverly Bootstraps Mobile Markets

A free farmers market that promotes better health and nutrition and addresses food insecurity by providing low-income residents with free fresh fruits and vegetables. In order to alleviate barriers such as transportation and mobility issues, the markets are brought directly to housing locations throughout Beverly. In addition to access to healthy foods, the markets incorporate nutrition education, healthy recipes and referrals to a Beverly Bootstraps Case Manager for further assistance.

Gloucester Police Department Teach to Reach Program

The Gloucester Police Department's Community Impact Unit will continue their efforts in providing the "Teach to Reach" initiative. The project provides opportunities for members of local community organizations to participate in training to become a certified recovery coach. These vital recovery coach services provide support to individuals in their efforts to stop or reduce their use of alcohol, opiates or other substances.

Greater Lynn Senior Services Food & Thought Program

This "Food is Medicine" collaboration of the City of Lynn's Food Security Task Force aims to address issues leading to food insecurity. In addition to providing access to healthy food through the food pantry, the program incorporates nutrition counseling, nutrition education sessions, cooking classes and individual supports to identify and address behavioral health issues.

Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless CASA Program

This homelessness prevention model embeds highly trained advocates inside community health centers and public schools to assist those facing a financial crisis to obtain or retain housing.

North Shore YMCA Enhance Fitness

An evidence-based group exercise program, offered for free to older adults, that's designed to offset the effects of aging and chronic illness as well as minimizing the risk of falls, all while fostering a supportive social community.

Pathways for Children Nurturing Fathers Program

A nationally registered, evidence-based, family education curriculum designed to prevent child abuse and neglect by increasing knowledge of parenting skills, child development, and community services and resources. The program will be offered to at-risk families with children in Beverly, and presented in English and Spanish.

SeniorCare Rendever Virtual Reality Program

Designed to reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, depression and isolation among older adults through the use of virtual reality (VR). The VR program has a variety of applications, including reminiscence therapy, socialization, physical therapy and exercise, and applications addressing dementia.

The Open Door Medically Tailored Groceries Program

An innovative program to help adults with, or at risk for, chronic illness and struggling with food insecurity better manage their health with access to free, diet-specific, nutritious food. In addition, the program provides nutrition counseling, educational workshops and help with meal planning and preparation.

Wellspring House Pathways to Jobs Program

Provides intensive educational and job training readiness and career counseling to help community members obtain employment or transition to a job with higher wages.

About Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals

Beverly Hospital is a full-service 373-bed community hospital founded in 1888 that serves more than 13 communities across Massachusetts’ North Shore and Cape Ann. With a medical staff of more than 500 physicians, the hospital provides quality, patient-centered care in maternity, pediatrics, surgical, orthopedics and cardiology, as well as other specialties.

Addison Gilbert Hospital is a 52-bed community hospital located in Gloucester, MA. Since its founding in 1889, Cape Ann residents have turned to the hospital when they needed care. Specialties include radiology, cancer care, pain management, cardiology, chronic disease management, inpatient geriatric services and emergency medicine.

Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals are a part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.