Awards emergency funding to four organizations on the frontlines of the pandemic
Life Science Cares, a nonprofit that organizes biopharma executives and employees to give back to the community, today announced $230,000 in grants to support organizations providing food, shelter and medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grants are the first made from LSC’s new COVID-19 Response Fund, which was launched March 18th and has raised $1.4 million to date. 100% of contributions to the fund go to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Greater Boston-area residents in need. The grantees include Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, CASPAR, Cradles to Crayons, Project Hope and Rosie’s Place.
“With so much uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing is clear. The most vulnerable among us—the homeless, those living in poverty, low-income families—are being hit the hardest,” said Executive Director Sarah MacDonald. “We are proud to bring the life science industry together and direct resources where our communities need them now.”
Fundraising for the Fund has reached $1.4 million, including major donors Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Biogen, Sanofi Genzyme, Collegium Pharmaceuticals, Atlas Venture, Alnylam, Cambridge Trust, Evelo Biosciences, Moderna Therapeutics, Dicerna, Beam Therapeutics, Marsh & McLennan Agency, CRISPR Therapeutics, Surface Oncology, Takeda, Nimbus Therapeutics, Imara, Xilio Therapeutics, 5 AM Ventures, Syros Therapeutics, LMK Consulting, Kaleido Biosciences, Translate Bio and many other companies and individuals.
Life Science Cares is working to award new grants on a rolling weekly basis during the coronavirus crisis, even as large and small donations continue to come in. The organization continues to leverage multifaceted partnerships with grantees, offering support well beyond the financial contribution, including virtual volunteer engagement, strategic support and in-kind donations of goods critical to ensure residents health and safety now.
To contribute to the Life Science Cares COVID-19 Response Fund, visit https://lifesciencecares.org/get-involved/covid-response/.
Grant details:
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program: Working with shelter and hospital partners, the City, and the State to enact a swift, comprehensive, and multi-faceted response, including equipping & operating 24/7 the City’s two new medical tents and operating a 24/7 hotline and mobile service to field concerns from shelter staff across the city.
CASPAR: Offering food and shelter to 200 guests a day in Cambridge.
Cradles to Crayons: Fielding urgent requests from food pantries, homeless shelters, and other partners for diapers, hygiene products, school supplies, books, and other essentials for local children.
Project Hope: Incurring increased costs to keep families in shelter safe & healthy, as well as supporting families seeking financial assistance for medical emergencies, lost wages, food and cleaning supplies, back rent and utility arrearages.
Rosie’s Place: Providing guests a week’s worth of pre-bagged groceries on top of daily lunch & dinner service in the day shelter.