The Psychological Center, Inc. to Receive $600,000 in Grants from Cummings Foundation

LAWRENCE — Chief Executive Officer Carina Pappalardo is pleased to share that The Psychological Center, Inc., will receive a transformational $600,000 in grant funding from the Cummings Foundation over the next 10 years.

The Psychological Center will receive the $600,000 over 10 years to support the general operations of the Psychological Center, which operates Women’s View, Pegasus House and Daybreak Shelter in Lawrence.

“I was left speechless when I learned about our 10 year award,” said CEO Carina Pappalardo. “Operating three unique non-profit programs in today’s economy takes a lot of creativity. Rises in the cost of food, gas, utilities, staffing, supplies, renovations, and other program expenses affects us in a different way then some other businesses. We do not pass on any costs. Our agency has to absorb all of these increases through grants, fundraising, and donations. This allows us to continue to focus on what matters, our people, and not focus on outside distractions. We are grateful to be selected and respected for the work we are blessed to be a part of. This enormous grant will always be a part of our guests’ successful treatment.”

The 10-year grant is especially important, as The Psychological Center hopes to use some of the funding from that grant to expand services and capacity at the Daybreak Shelter, which currently has 50 beds for overnight guests, most of which are often full. 

The new grant funding will support additional transitional housing programming at the Daybreak Shelter, as well as an expansion, renovation, or relocation of the building. The funding will also support renovations to the Pegasus House building, and renovations or a move to a new location for Women’s View.

The grant funding will also support the continuance of the Journey to Resiliency Project, which will strengthen trauma-informed care, programming and services, as well as longer stays for guests at Daybreak Shelter, Women’s View and Pegasus House.

Funding will also be used to create a street outreach and community outreach team to help reach those in need of assistance, and to make resources provided by The Psychological Center more well-known and more accessible to those in need. 

The Psychological Center is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through the Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The Lawrence-based organization was selected from a total of 630 applicants during a competitive review process.

The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties.

“The way the local nonprofit sector perseveres, steps up, and pivots to meet the shifting needs of the community is most impressive,” said Cummings Foundation executive director Joyce Vyriotes. “We are incredibly grateful for these tireless efforts to support people in the community and to increase equity and access to opportunities.”

The majority of the grant decisions were made by about 90 volunteers. They worked across a variety of committees to review and discuss the proposals and then, together, determine which requests would be funded. Among these community volunteers were business and nonprofit leaders, mayors, college presidents, and experts in areas such as finance and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).

“It would not be possible for the Foundation to hire the diversity and depth of expertise and insights that our volunteers bring to the process,” said Vyriotes. “We so appreciate the substantial time and thought they dedicated toward ensuring that our democratized version of philanthropy results in equitable outcomes that will really move the needle on important issues in local communities.”

The Foundation and volunteers first identified 150 organizations to receive three-year grants of up to $225,000 each. The winners included first-time recipients as well as nonprofits that had previously received Cummings grants. Twenty-five of this latter group of repeat recipients were then selected by a volunteer panel to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards ranging from $300,000 to $1 million each.

This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including housing and food insecurity, workforce development, immigrant services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 46 different cities and towns.

Cummings Foundation has now awarded $480 million to greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s 150 grant winners, plus nearly 1,500 previous recipients, is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.

About The Psychological Center, Inc.

The Psychological Center, Inc., has provided programming and support to those with substance use disorders, mental health struggles, and the homeless for over five decades.

The Psychological Center cares for individuals through three programs dedicated to addiction and recovery services: Pegasus House, Women’s View, and the Daybreak Shelter. The programs focus on improving mental health and recovery from substance abuse disorders, which help individuals gain the skills necessary to reintegrate back into the community and live better lives.

If you would like to donate to the Psychological Center, click here.

About the Cummings Foundation

The Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings and has grown to be one of the largest private foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities, in Marlborough and Woburn, and Cummings Health Sciences, LLC. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.