When a new satellite emergency facility opens in Groton later this year, it will arrive equipped with something essential: two EKG machines capable of detecting heart problems quickly and accurately. For residents who currently face a long drive to the nearest emergency room, that matters. UMass Memorial Health Care received a $22,000 grant to make it happen. 

That grant is one of twelve the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts has awarded through its Nashoba Valley Community Health program this cycle, totaling approximately $200,000. Together, they reach across a region of a dozen communities — from Ashby to Townsend — targeting some of the most persistent gaps in local healthcare: emergency access, mental health services, and the workforce shortage that underlies both. 

Meeting Students Where They Are 

At North Middlesex Regional School District, a $20,000 grant is helping open a mental health center inside the high school itself — a deliberate choice to eliminate the transportation and scheduling barriers that keep many students from ever accessing care. Students will be able to meet with clinicians in person or virtually, and staff will receive training to better recognize and respond to mental health needs in the classroom. 

The project grew out of a community health assessment conducted with students from Boston University’s School of Public Health, drawing on input from families and district staff. The result is a program shaped by the community it serves — including a health fair covering mental health, nutrition, substance use, and disease prevention. It’s a model of how schools, universities, and community foundations can work together toward something none of them could accomplish alone. 

Investing in the Next Generation of Caregivers 

Alongside the direct-service grants, the Foundation awarded more than $10,500 in scholarships to Fitchburg State University and Mount Wachusett Community College — supporting Nashoba Valley residents pursuing education in direct-care provider programs. It’s a recognition that closing healthcare gaps requires not just better-equipped facilities and expanded services, but more people trained and ready to staff them. 

A Broad Coalition of Community Partners 

The full roster of this cycle’s grantees reflects the range of organizations doing health-related work across the region: Advocates, Inc.; Clear Path for Veterans New England; Conversations to Remember; Joe Andruzzi Foundation; LUK Crisis Center; Rise Above Foundation; Seven Hills ASPIRE!; Spanish American Center; The CASA Project; UMass Memorial Health Care; and Virginia Thurston Healing Garden, alongside the North Middlesex Regional School District. 

Taken together, these organizations address the full spectrum of community health — from crisis intervention and veteran support to healing gardens and cancer care navigation. The Foundation’s role is to help connect the resources available in this region with the organizations that know how to put them to work. 

The Nashoba Valley Community Health grant program serves residents of Ashby, Ayer, Bolton, Devens, Groton, Harvard, Lancaster, Littleton, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Shirley, and Townsend. 

For more information about the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts or College Affordable, please contact Meghan Maceiko at mmaceiko@cfncm.org