Yawkey Foundation Awards $75,000 to Replace HarborCOV Elevator
January 19, 2022
Chelsea, December 2021 - HarborCOV is incredibly grateful and excited to announce that the organization recently received an incredibly generous gift of $75,000 from the Yawkey Foundation. This support will allow HarborCOV to replace an aging elevator, an essential accessibility improvement to the organization’s emergency shelter for local survivors of domestic violence.
HarborCOV provides free emergency, transitional, and permanent housing to domestic violence survivors from the Chelsea and surrounding harbor communities, as well as specialized immigration, legal, and children’s support services that promote long-term stability, safety, and healing for individuals and families.
“HarborCOV would like to sincerely thank the Yawkey Foundation for its support of domestic violence survivors and their children during this difficult time for many. This award will allow us to expand the accessibility of our emergency shelter and accompanying supports for survivors, a necessary improvement that will ensure that all survivors can quickly leave an abusive situation and begin their journey toward safety, stability, and healing,” said Kourou Pich, Executive Director of HarborCOV. “On behalf of all individuals and families affected by domestic violence, we thank you for being part of the community solution to end this crisis.”
This funding will allow HarborCOV to break ground on essential improvements to the elevator at the organization’s Community Housing Initiative location, which houses an emergency shelter and transitional housing services. This property provides housing for approximately 100 survivors per year, as well as office space for direct service advocates and case managers, playrooms, a conference room, and an advocacy room. Replacing the elevator will enhance the accessibility of these life-saving programs for the most vulnerable survivors and their children.
This project would not be possible without the generous support of the Yawkey Foundation. Tom and Jean Yawkey established the Yawkey Foundation in perpetuity to support individuals and families in-need in the communities that were closest to their hearts in New England and South Carolina. The Foundation plays an essential role in the community by providing resources, opportunity, and dignity to the vulnerable and underserved in the areas of giving that reflect their charitable values. HarborCOV is just one of 60 Human Service non-profit organizations to be receiving a total of $3.3 million in Program & Small Capital grants from the Foundation this year.
Maureen H. Bleday, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of the Yawkey Foundation, had this to say about the Foundation’s work: “Throughout their lifetimes, Tom Yawkey and Jean Yawkey quietly and generously supported organizations providing basic needs for countless vulnerable individuals and families. The Trustees were deeply touched by each one of these organizations’ dedication to helping others, especially the most vulnerable individuals and families needing assistance to be healthy, safe, and secure. We are honored and humbled to play a small part in the holistic, compassionate, and dignified care provided to those most in-need by these impressive and tireless nonprofits.”
To learn more about the Yawkey Foundation, please visit www.yawkeyfoundation.org, or follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook @YawkeyFdns for more information.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, you can receive confidential support. Call HarborCOV’s 24/7 hotline at 617-884-9909.