ARTICLE
Behavioral Health Innovators, Best Buddies International, Elder Services of Cape Cod & The Islands, Health Imperatives and WellStrong Are Beneficiaries for Fourth Quarter of FY2024 Hyannis, Mass. (April 8, 2024) -- The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod Charitable Foundation Trust (The Coop Foundation) has awarded $20,000 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: • $5,000 to Behavioral Health Innovators, a Chatham-based organization focused on creating high impact solutions for individuals who suffer from behavioral illnesses. The grant will support its Positive Alternative to School Suspension (PASS) program, an intervention model for students who face suspension for nonviolent offenses and may be at risk of developing substance use disorders. • $5,000 to Best Buddies International, to support the expansion of its Best Buddies Jobs Program, which secures jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), allowing them to earn an income, pay taxes and continuously and independently support themselves. • $2,500 to Elder Services of Cape Cod & The Islands to help fund its Money Management Program, which assists adults aged 60 and over, who may be at risk of losing their independence due to failure to pay rent, utility or other basic bills on time. This program is offered free of charge to income-eligible individuals and at a small fee to others. • $2,500 to Health Imperatives to support its Hyannis-based Partnering for Progress program, which addresses the needs of Cape Cod’s growing immigrant population. Both recent and more established immigrants often require assistance to understand and access services that can help with health care, food and transportation. Approximately 40% of the nearly 6,000 people served each year out of the organization’s Hyannis location are immigrants. The Coop Foundation also issued the final $5,000 installment of a $15,000 grant award to WellStrong, a Falmouth-based organization dedicated to creating safe, supportive communities of people in recovery from substance use disorder through fitness, wellness and meditation. The grant will be used to expand professional growth opportunities and promote economic self-sufficiency for members in recovery by offering fitness certifications for up to five individuals per year. “The beneficiaries of this quarter’s Coop Foundation grants are providing critical services and lifelines to the most vulnerable members of our communities, and we are honored to provide financial support to help them achieve their mission,” 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 intellectual and developmental disabilities, substance use disorders and economic insecurity, as well as those who have recently migrated to the region.” About The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod Charitable Foundation Trust The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod Charitable Foundation Trust is a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit in the state of Massachusetts with a mission to cultivate vibrant and thriving communities. Established in 2018, The Coop Foundation solidifies and formalizes The Coop’s commitment as a mutual bank to give back to the community, earmarking funds for philanthropy that won’t decrease according to the bottom line, but increase as the assets of the Trust grows. The Coop Foundation serves as an extension of the Bank’s current community giving program by enhancing and expanding it. For more information, please visit www.mycapecodbank.com/charitable-giving.