Essex County Community Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded $90,000 to 15 Essex County nonprofits battling hunger and homelessness in the region.

The grants were made through the Foundation’s Small Capital Grant Program, which funded one-time capital expenses to enhance a nonprofit organization’s ability to serve its clients and achieve its mission.

“It can become increasingly difficult for a nonprofit organization that is working tirelessly to help a homeless family find housing or prepare healthy meals for their clients, when they don’t have the equipment or technology they need,” said Carol Lavoie Schuster, ECCF’s vice president for grants and services. “We are proud to support organizations meeting the basic – but most critical needs – of individuals and families through these small capital grants, money which is often nearly impossible to come by through operating budgets.

From updated computers to industrial freezers, ECCF grants have provided funding for much-needed capital improvements to the following organizations and programs:

• Action Inc.,(Gloucester), for a laundry upgrade for the organization’s Emergency Homeless Shelter.
• Bread and Roses(Lawrence), for stainless steel kitchen updates for sanitation and sustainability.
• Bridgewell, Inc.(Peabody), for completion of a kitchen renovation and electrical system upgrade at an affordable housing unit for people who have been chronically homeless and are disabled.
• Centerboard(Lynn), for a technology upgrade for staff providing direct case management and re-housing services to homeless families.
• Citizens Inn(Peabody), to purchase security cameras to improve safety at one of its shelters.
• Community Action, Inc.(Haverhill), to purchase two refrigerators for its Drop In Shelter.
• Family Promise(Beverly), to purchase 234 air mattresses for all of its shelter program host sites.
• First Baptist Church(Beverly), to purchase a commercial freezer to store excess food and an ice-maker for its Free Meals Programs.
• Greater Lawrence Community Action Council., Inc. and WIC Food Pantry (Lawrence), to purchase an industrial freezer and refrigerator for its Family Food Pantry.
• Healing Abuse Working for Change(Salem), to purchase computers and a desk to be used by staff as well as shelter guests.
• My Brother’s Table(Lynn), to purchase a commercial washer and dryer and replace the floor in its in-house laundry.
• Open Hearts Ministries Inc.(Haverhill), to purchase and install new gas stoves for its Community Meal Outreach Program.
• Salem Pantry(Salem), to purchase laptops that will enable registration of clients at its mobile distribution sites.
• The Open Door (Gloucester), to purchase a blast chiller to increase the production capacity of Health Choice Easy Choice prepared meals offered through its distribution programs.
• Veterans Northeast Outreach Center Inc.(Haverhill), to purchase a box truck to enhance logistics between the organization’s facilities and programs and assist in donation pickup and local moves for its homeless population.