REPRESENTATIVE ELDRIDGE ANNOUNCES GRANT AWARDS TO
LOCAL CULTURAL COUNCILS AND ORGANIZATIONS

BOSTON – Representative Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) is pleased to announce that all six towns in the 37th Middlesex District are receiving grants to support local cultural councils. In addition to the local grants for each of communities, two organizations within the 37th Middlesex District received grants – totaling over $15,000 – helping to preserve the programs that these unique institutions provide.  This is a marginal increase over last year’s grants to these programs. Collectively, these monies will have a significant positive impact on our towns and will go toward supporting education, jobs, opportunity and community programs through the arts, sciences and humanities. 

“It is always so wonderful to be able to bring home good news,” said Representative Eldridge. “Especially in light of the economic and fiscal woes that have had such a profound effect on the cities and towns of the Commonwealth, this is great timing for programs that mean so much to so many.  Arts and humanities are often the first things to suffer budget cuts, and unfortunately, the funding for these educational and cultural programs has been cut by almost two-thirds since 2002.  However, it was refreshing to see the Legislature’s commitment to preserve level funding for cultural council’s in this year’s budget and I am pleased that communities are now receiving the money,” Eldridge added.

The grants are funded through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), which provides support to cultural councils within cities and towns across the Commonwealth. One of the cornerstones of the grant is that all funded projects must demonstrate a public benefit component. The MCC agency also supports programs such as: The Creative Schools Program and the Youthreach Initiative.