Community Endowment of Lexington

Lexington Zero Waste Collaborate is dedicated to raising awareness about the impacts of our consumption choices on the well-being of the Earth and all life on it. This grant will help launch two pilot initiatives: 1) a community-shared composting drop-off program hosted at two sites in town, tentatively to be called “Lexington Shared Organics Recovery Together” (LexSORT); and 2) a partnership with local restaurants to establish a Reusable Takeout program modeled after Grainmaker's returnable deposit system.

The role of LexHAB is to expand the Town’s inventory of affordable housing for rental to families of low and moderate income. This grant will support a marketing strategy campaign which will have multiple goals: to raise awareness of the need for affordable housing; to promote LexHAB’s status as a quality provider of affordable housing; to promote donating to LexHAB to increase capacity of affordable housing.

LexPride's mission is to develop community and advance full equality for LGBTQIA+ people and their families and allies in Lexington. This grant will fund two projects. The Rainbow Artists programs give an affirming space to LGBTQ+ youth and allies to support identity development and mental health. Rainbow Artists is a new program for youth ages 8-11 and 12-15 to engage in creative expression in a community of peers. The grant will also help fund varied Social Justice events to foster awareness, understanding, and inclusivity in Lexington. These impactful public programs are intersectional, giving them broad appeal.

Youth Counseling Connection (formerly LYFS) provides free and accessible support to youth and families to improve emotional wellness. This grant will support YCC's continued work with a fundraising and marketing specialist who will work on building recognition and raising community awareness, as well as developing a more intricate and sustainable fundraising model for YCC to utilize moving forward.

The mission of The Nature Connection is to improve the wellbeing of individuals and communities through the therapeutic use of nature. The grant will fund therapeutic nature programs for children and adults in Lexington who are experiencing increased anxiety, spending more time alone indoors, living with a disability, and/or facing health challenges. Support from CEL will help cover a year’s worth of programming costs for new program partners in Lexington such as the Cary Memorial Library, Cooperative for Human Services, Pehlman Academy, and other potential sites.

NoteLove is a student-led nonprofit that provides free, accessible music education to everyone, with a focus on underserved students. This grant will help develop more resources for instructors, students, and parents to better support and supplement online lessons, and it will help fund their website and paid advertisements on various social media platforms to help promote their services.

Shadaj’s mission is to cultivate, nurture and promote Indian Classical Music in its most authentic form through intimate concerts, music appreciation sessions, as a platform for cultural integration and community outreach. This grant wil help fund technical equipment to support a fully virtual live streaming community outreach event involving world class musicians and musicologists who will participate in concerts and lecture demonstrations that will be free to Lexington residents.

Special Needs Arts Programs, Inc. provides people with disabilities opportunities that celebrate each person's unique abilities while cultivating creative expression, building peer relationships, and fostering self-esteem through life-enhancing activities in the arts. This grant will help support a Chorus Camp in July 2021. Chorus Camp is a four to five week intensive program which offers students greater autonomy, leadership and opportunities for solo singing.

Vinci Robotics Academy provides students with a robotics and STEAM education environment to grow and refine students' problem solving skills, team collaboration, and innovation spirits through a series of hands-on, interdisciplinary, and project-based programs. This grant will fund a collaboration of Autism Spectrum Disorder specialists from Nashoba Learning Group and MGH to structure a real-life project-based STEAM curriculum that can enrich students’ talent, build their confidence, and hopefully extend to more special needs schools. ASD is a rapid growing neurodevelopment disorder. Some ASD youth have special talent in robotics and CS, but their social deficit & behavioral issues impact their route to success.

The William Diamond Corps promotes the study and history of fife and drum music. This grant will be used to develop the Corps's online presence, including investing in an entirely new website with a "public" side focused on recruiting new members, marketing the Corps' performance capabilities, and supporting fundraising efforts, and a "private" side to support members through organized "meet-ups" for mentoring, practice, and collaboration independent of our face-to-face rehearsals.

LexHAB is committed to implementing alternatives for the provision of affordable housing in Lexington and to providing such housing to persons of low, moderate, and middle income. This grant will fund the LEXscape beautification project, which includes the purchase and installation of three sheds used to store equipment, facilitating tenants' ability to maintain a tidy exterior and enhancing the surrounding neighborhood.

LYFS is dedicated to strengthening the safety net so that Lexington youth are healthier, more resilient, and feel better supported in their daily lives. This grant will support the provision of free, short-term therapeutic services to youth ages 6 to 22 and to families who cannot otherwise access mental health supports.

Special Needs Arts Programs, Inc. provides people with disabilities opportunities that celebrate each person’s unique abilities while cultivating creative expression, building peer relationships, and fostering self-esteem through life-enhancing activities in the arts. The grant will support an art exhibit series, comprised of nine Special Artists art exhibits.

The William Diamond Junior Fife & Drum Corps perpetuates our nation’s historical music and promotes fellowship among musicians. This grant will fund the refurbishment and rebranding of 13 original drums, allowing drums to be used an additional 15 to 20 years and promoting the organization’s ties to the town of Lexington.

The Lexington Tourism Committee promotes Lexington tourism as part of the economic development strategy to maximize revenues from Lexington’s visitors-based economy.

This grant will support the restoration of the diorama of the Battle of Lexington, which will be featured in the new Visitors Center and help visitors understand Lexington’s historic role in American history. The diorama will both be restored and made wheelchair accessible.

LexRAP supports and assists refugees and asylum seekers integrate into American society. This assistance includes a support network for housing, food, clothing, transportation, health care, education (especially English), employment, legal aid, and socialization.

This grant will support Hand in Hand Cafe, which provides local refugee women the opportunity to cook dinners for paying guests and has the goals of building community and understanding, as well as providing the women a chance to learn job skills related to the food industry.

Munroe Center for the Arts furthers the cultural and artistic education of the residents in the community.

This grant will support board members with instruction and training led by professionals, helping the MCA Board understand its roles and responsibilities and providing them with the necessary infrastructure and tools to undertake its work in support of the Center’s mission.

Nashoba Learning Group enables children and adults with autism to function with the greatest possible productivity and independence in the community, home, and workplace throughout their lives.

This grant will support the Vocational Program, which strives to place students with autism in meaningful work opportunities, as it seeks to expand its reach of volunteer services to include Lexington.

Neighbor Brigade establishes community-specific networks of volunteers that can be mobilized to help residents facing sudden crisis manage day-to-day tasks such as meal preparation, rides, and basic household chores.

This grant will support a collaboration with Japanese Support Group of Lexington that would allow Japanese Lexington residents to participate in and contribute to volunteer activities with fellow Lexington residents in a meaningful and impactful way.

Shadaj, Inc. cultivates, nurtures, and promotes Indian Classical Music in its most authentic form through intimate concerts, music appreciation sessions, and lecture demonstrations as a platform for cultural integration and community outreach.

This grant will support the East Meets West annual community outreach event, which facilitates cultural and musical exchange by inviting people from diverse cultural backgrounds to participate in a series of lecture-demonstrations and a concert.

Special Needs Arts Programs, Inc. provides people with disabilities opportunities that celebrate each person’s unique abilities while cultivating creative expression, building peer relationships, and fostering self-esteem through life-enhancing activities in the arts.

This grant will support marketing efforts and the purchase of equipment (amplifiers, keyboard, and more) for SNAP’s musical performances.

Special Needs Arts Programs, Inc. provides people with disabilities opportunities that celebrate each person’s unique abilities while cultivating creative expression, building peer relationships, and fostering self-esteem through life-enhancing activities in the arts.

This grant is enabling SNAP to launch a pilot ceramics program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Town of Lexington is celebrated as the site of the first shots of the American Revolutionary War, and is now a vibrant community that is home to more than 31,000 individuals.

This grant will support the purchase tablets that are outfitted with a translation application to improve communication between town staff and Lexington residents and visitors whose first language is not English.

The William Diamond Junior Fife & Drum Corps is designed to promote the study of both music and history among young people, particularly the traditions of fife and drum music.

As part of the Corp’s first capital campaign, this grant will support the purchase of five new authentic-quality fifes and three hand-sewn uniforms, benefiting multiple generations of Lexington’s youth.

The mission of the MCA is to further the cultural and artistic education of the residents of Lexington.

This grant will support the MCA’s The Refugee Diaspora project, an artistic collaboration intended to educate Lexington residents about the refugee experience. Through the arts and this program, the MCA hopes to promote local engagement.

Neighbor Brigade establishes community-specific networks of volunteers that can be mobilized to help residents facing sudden crisis manage day-to-day tasks such as meal preparation, rides, and basic household chores.

This grant will support volunteer growth and diversification in Neighbor Brigade’s Lexington chapter. By increasing volunteer engagement and diversity of volunteers in the areas of age, gender and ethnicity, the organization will better meet the needs of Lexington’s growing and diverse population, including all residents whom are facing temporary crises.

The mission of SLI is to raise the quality of life for survivors of brain injury. To achieve this mission, SLI develops appropriate and affordable supportive housing; provides life-long physical, cognitive and social fitness through wellness programs; and fosters research aimed at improving the lives of people with brain injury.

This grant will support the SLI Total Health Summer Camp in bringing together disabled and nondisabled Lexington residents in wellness programs.

The Children’s Room creates safe, supportive communities so that no child, teen, or family has to grieve alone.

This grant will support the operations of a school-based peer support group for grieving teens on site at Lexington High School.

Under the direction of the Lexington Board of Health, the mission of the Lexington Office of Public Health is to prevent disease and promote wellness in order to protect and improve the health and quality of life of its residents, visitors and workfoce.

This grant will enable the Lexington Health Department to do a quantitative tick survey in order to assess the risks to our community and provide an educational public health program for residents about tick-borne diseases.

Antony Park commemorates the relationship with Lexington's sister city, Antony, France. The park's design is based on historical French formal gardens and will be located in the seldom-used area of Tower Park. This outdoor space will be preserved and beautified for a place to revitalize, enjoy community events and performances or simply meet for a picnic or bagged lunch.

This grant will assist LTC in completing the park's construction, primarily the beautiful and anchoring stonework.

For over 30 years, SNAP has worked to enhance the lives of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities through direct involvement in the arts, resulting in a connected and warm community of artists, staff and volunteers.

This grant is enabling the expansion of the SNAP program and providing resources to enroll more students who are on the waiting list.

Lexington Youth and Family Services (LYFS) promotes healthy social and emotional development among Lexington youth and families by providing advocacy, prevention and intervention services to keep youth safe and enhance family functioning. LYFS provides barrier-free counseling to adolescents who might not otherwise access mental health support for depression, suicidal thoughts, and self-destructive behavior. This year LYFS expanded its suicide prevention services through its Lexington Asian Mental Health Initiative, a community education project that has resulted in student and parent surveys on stress and a community forum entitled “Balancing Stress and Success: An Asian American Perspective.”

This grant will be used for board training and strategic planning.