BANGOR, Maine — The John T. Gorman Foundation has awarded $1 million in grants to 52 Maine nonprofit organizations working to meet the immediate needs of Maine residents facing problems with mental illness, cancer and hunger, the foundation announced Thursday.
The foundation traditionally has targeted grants for mental health and cancer programs but this year added food insecurity as a focus area.
By providing grants to assist organizations fighting hunger, “the foundation hopes to confront an issue that is close to home for far too many families in this state,” Tony Cipollone, president and CEO of the John T. Gorman Foundation, said in a prepared statement issued Thursday.
Nearly one in four Maine children has experienced food insecurity in the past year, according to the release.
Among the grants awarded this year were $25,000 to support emergency mental health services for people experiencing homelessness in the Bangor area; $25,000 to bring skilled nurses into the homes of children with cancer in York, Cumberland and southern Oxford counties; $5,000 to transport food to a pantry in rural Waldo County; and $15,000 to supply fresh produce to seniors in Aroostook County.
Of the 52 organizations that have been awarded funding, 23 address food insecurity, 15 meet the needs of cancer patients and their families and another 14 offer mental health services.
A grandson of L.L. Bean, John T. Gorman, known as Tom, established his namesake foundation to help disadvantaged Mainers.
In recent years, the independent statewide foundation has moved to focus 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.
In 2014, the foundation distributed a total of $7.2 million to support programs around the state.
For more information about the John T. Gorman Foundation and a complete list of grant recipients, visit jtgfoundation.org.