Community invests $100,000 through a United Way initiative to provide Lowell youth with positive summer experiences

LOWELL -At a press conference today at Lowell City Hall, Lowell Mayor Edward Caulfield joined United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley's Diane Franz as she announced an investment of $100,000 into 14 local youth-serving agencies. The investment, which the community has raised as part of United Way's Summer Experiences in Greater Lowell (SEGL) initiative, is particularly significant this year as the unemployment rate in Lowell has reached 10.8% and more youth are expected to need free or discounted options for summer programming due to the economic recession.

SEGL provides Lowell area youth with quality summer programming to help them develop leadership, social and academic skills while school is not in session.  The recipient agencies will be on hand at the announcement along with SEGL co-chairs Ginger Pearson Burke, Vice President of Butler Bank and Nicole Mack, Assistant Vice President of The Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank.

"At a time when communities are forced to do more with less and with the need for services higher than ever, the value of United Way's Summer Experience program to the youth of Greater Lowell is abundantly clear and greatly appreciated," City Manager Bernie Lynch said.

Last year, SEGL enabled more than 3,000 children to participate in quality summer programs, developing leadership, social and academic skills that will empower them for life. This year, $100,000 will fuel quality summer programs in the following 14 organizations:

SEGL is made possible by the support of local community members, volunteers and corporate sponsors, including a committee of volunteers led by Ginger Pearson Burke and Nicole Mack, the Parker Foundation, and Lantheus Medical Imaging, which held a golf tournament raising more than $30,000 for Lowell area youth through SEGL.

Speaking of the way that the community has come together to support SEGL, Enterprise Bank President Richard W. Main -- who was honored last month for his support of Merrimack Valley youth -- said, “The real heroes are the donors and the organizations who provide positive experiences for the children in Greater Lowell.  The various summer programs allow them to experience an activity that they might not otherwise have.”