Cambridge-based nonprofits Receive Grants to Fight Poverty

Cambridge, Mass. – Life Science Cares Boston, a nonprofit that connects life science industry executives and employees with nonprofits fighting poverty across Greater Boston, has awarded BioBuilder, CASPAR, Food for Free and Just-A-Start grants to support each organization’s work to support people in need. The Cambridge-based nonprofits are four of 27 social service organizations to receive a collective $755,000 in grants in 2020, bringing Life Science Cares’ four-year giving total to more than $3.8 million.

Founded in 2016, Life Science Cares was created as a platform for members of the life sciences industry to give back while also giving nonprofits the funds and volunteer power necessary to grow and innovate. This combination of connecting multi-year grants and volunteers to nonprofits that need both is the core value the organization brings as it works to decrease the ever-widening economic and opportunity gap in communities.

This year’s grant distribution culminates another year of rapid expansion and community impact. In addition to its annual grants program, since March Life Science Cares has led a multi-faceted COVID-19 relief effort to help Greater Boston neighbors facing challenges during the crisis, rallying 600 area biopharma executives and employees to raise $1.8 million granted to organizations that provide food, shelter and medical care.

“The Life Science Cares model is unique in that our corporate members’ support extends well beyond financial contributions to include volunteer engagement, strategic support and in-kind donations of goods or services,” says Sarah MacDonald, Executive Director for Life Science Cares. “This year, more than ever, it is an honor to invest in our partners working tirelessly to provide food, housing, education and employment to our neighbors in need.”

Each of Life Science Cares’ partnerships look vastly different, but all are aimed at fighting poverty. Partners who address basic human needs, such as food and shelter, are working with homeless populations and those living month to month and struggle to pay for groceries, bills and rent. Partners who provide educational programs serve underrepresented and underserved youth in schools and after-school programs. And, partners who focus on economic sustainability work with young adults, immigrants and sometimes mid-career individuals who are looking for better opportunities in the workforce, often seeking to switch from gig economy jobs to more stable salaried positions.

"Life Science Cares' s support has made it possible for Food For Free to expand and adapt our programs to meet the challenges of this year,” says Sasha Purpura, Executive Director of Food For Free, a food rescue and relief organization that became a critical source of food in the greater Cambridge area during the pandemic, delivering groceries to 2,000 households a week. “As hunger in our community has expanded, Food For Free has been able to respond--in large part because of Life Science Cares steady support."

BioBuilder brings tomorrow’s science into today’s classrooms, and aims to increase interest, understanding and engagement in STEM fields through a comprehensive approach to the emerging field of synthetic biology. When COVID-19 restrictions forced schools to close in March, BioBuilder rapidly re-imagined its curriculum in ways that stay true to the best of what BioBuilder teaches; namely a team-based approach to creative problem solving, legitimate biotechnology skill-building, meaningful data analysis, and professional quality communication.

“We’re grateful that the funds from Life Science Cares supported our pivot to online learning this spring, and will now help to support the commitment we made to provide under-resourced classrooms access to our online high school and middle school programs at no cost,” says Natalie Kuldell, BioBuilder Founder & Executive Director.

CASPAR (Cambridge and Somerville Programs for Addiction Recovery) is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families who have been affected by substance use disorder and related issues, such as homelessness or mental illness. The organization’s FirstStep street outreach program delivers lifesaving services in the form of meals, clothing and survival gear, as well as hope and compassion, to unsheltered Cambridge residents. The program team builds trusting relationships and breaks down the stigma associated with addiction and homelessness while helping people find their path to recovery.

“Our CASPAR homeless services couldn't have a better partner than Life Science Cares,” says Julia Londergan, CASPAR Director of Development. “Not only did they fund—for a second straight year--our life-saving Street Outreach van, but they also stepped up at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and then again, a few months into it, with emergency assistance to help keep our staff and our homeless neighbors safe and healthy.”

Just-A-Start (JAS) is a community development corporation dedicated to building the housing security and

economic stability of low- to moderate-income people in Cambridge and nearby communities. Through innovative, comprehensive, and integrated programs, JAS provides and preserves affordable housing, offers education and workforce training for youth and adults, and builds community engagement. Life Science Cares’ grant will support JAS’s Biomedical and Information Technology (IT) Careers Programs, enabling low-income adults to gain the training needed to enter a sustainable career pathway in the life science or IT fields.

"We're grateful to have Life Science Cares’ continued support as we work to build pathways to economic opportunity," says Carl Nagy-Koechlin, Just-A-Start's Executive Director. "Together, we can help more people in our communities further their education, embark on pathways to sustainable careers, and increase their economic mobility."

Life Science Cares is a turnkey CSR program for the life science industry and a model through which other professional industries can leverage their time, talent and treasure to tackle society’s greatest social issues. The organization recently expanded into Philadelphia and will launch affiliates on the West Coast in the coming months. For a complete list of 2020 Life Science Cares grant recipients, visit https://lifesciencecares.org/life-science-cares-boston-awards-755000-to-nonprofits-fighting-poverty/.

About Life Science Cares

Life Science Cares is a collective effort of the life science industry connecting companies with nonprofits that improve the lives of people living in poverty in target cities nationwide. In Boston, Life Science Cares harnesses the sector’s human and financial resources to support a portfolio of 27 nonprofit organizations. Life Science Cares partner organizations work to address basic survival needs (food, shelter) improve education, and develop job skills that increase long term economic sustainability for the community’s most vulnerable neighbors. For more information, visit: www.lifesciencecares.org.

About BioBuilder

BioBuilder brings tomorrow’s science into today’s classrooms, and aims to increase interest, understanding and engagement in STEM fields through a comprehensive approach to the emerging field of synthetic biology. Developed at MIT through collaboration with high school teachers, BioBuilder's curriculum turns cutting-edge science and engineering into teachable modules that open minds and doors into the world of STEM education for students and educators alike.

About CASPAR

CASPAR (Cambridge and Somerville Programs for Addiction Recovery) is a non-profit organization, founded in 1970 in response to the need for community-based services for those affected by substance use disorders. Since then, CASPAR has built a comprehensive array of outreach, shelter, stabilization, and residential services that meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Each day, CASPAR works to alleviate the opioid and homelessness crises in Cambridge and Somerville, providing lifesaving support and hope. To learn more about CASPAR, please visit www.casparinc.org.

About Food for Free

Food For Free is a Cambridge-based, non-profit organization dedicated to providing the Greater Boston community with reliable access to fresh and nutritious food. Food For Free accomplishes its mission through food rescue, partnerships with schools, colleges, and community food programs, and our own direct service programs. In 2019, Food For Free distributed more than two million pounds of nutritious food to more than 30,000 people throughout Greater Boston. To learn more, please visit us at http://www.foodforfree.org/, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Just-A-Start

Just-A-Start is a community development corporation dedicated to promoting equity by creating access to stable housing and building pathways to economic opportunity. Just-A-Start builds and preserves affordable housing, offers education and workforce training, and provides housing resources and services to low- to moderate-income people in Cambridge and nearby communities. Now in its 52nd year, Just-A-Start serves approximately 3,000 individuals and families annually. For more information, please visit www.justastart.org.

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