The John T. Gorman Foundation, started by the late grandson of L.L. Beans namesake, is giving out nearly $1 million to 62 nonprofit organizations throughout the state of Maine.
In all, the foundation is awarding $960,650 to nonprofits organizations in every Maine county to provide low-income residents food, clothing, heating assistance, furniture, prescription drugs, transportation, medical care and counseling.
The grants will benefit Mainers of all ages – from children to seniors – from rural Aroostook County to the more populous Cumberland and York counties in the southern part of the state. The grants will cover basic needs for residents struggling financially and will provide a variety of services for cancer patients and their families. The funding also will provide mental health counseling for some of the states most vulnerable groups, including young children, recent immigrants and the homeless.
The grant amounts range from $2,500 for emergency fuel assistance for residents in Deer Isle to $23,000 so that Sanford and Springvale residents in York County can use public transportation to get to work, shopping and doctors appointments. In Portland, funding will help homeless people with substance abuse issues and will provide food to low-income seniors. In Augusta, children will receive meals on the weekends and during school vacations.
The social safety net in our state is fraying due to cuts in federal and state funding, said Tony Cipollone, president and CEO of the John T. Gorman Foundation. Our hope is that these grants will benefit the thousands of Maine residents who are struggling in a tough economy.
These direct service grants were started years ago by the John T. Gorman Foundations founder, a grandson of L.L. Bean, to meet individuals immediate needs. In recent years, the independent, statewide Foundation, which distributes $7.5 million annually, has moved to focus more strategically on four key areas: Improving educational achievement for children, promoting successful transitions to adulthood for vulnerable older youth, helping struggling parents to support their families and enabling low-income seniors to remain in their homes as long as possible.
The foundation was founded in 1995. John Thomas Gorman is the grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, founder of the
Freeport-based outdoors and clothing store, grew up in Yarmouth. He was a member of the L.L. Bean family and spent his working years with the company. He
died in 2010.
For more information about the John T. Gorman Foundation, visit www.jtgfoundation.org.
