Lynn produces guidebook to nonprofit services

LYNN – There are so many nonprofits in Lynn that provide a wide variety of resources for families, it can be difficult to keep them all straight.So the mayor’s office and a committee of key nonprofit leaders spent a year collecting information about the city’s nonprofits and organizing it all in one place. On Thursday, they released an 87-page booklet that lists public, private and religious organizations that cater to Lynn families.”We want to be the resource that people in the community go to for service,” said Mary Fountain, an aide to the mayor who played a big part in putting the guide together, along with members of the city’s Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Committee.Everything from grandparent groups to day camps to resources for the Latino community is categorized in the guide, which is also available online at the city of Lynn’s website.Fountain said the city had a similar guide published almost five years ago that she referenced frequently to connect residents to services like food pantries, after-school programs and neighborhood programs.”The old book is something I refer to every day in my job. And it was outdated,” she said.The new book is also a blessing for Donna Kennedy, who co-directs the North Shore Day care program on Union Street and says she is constantly referring clients to other services.”It’s just a nice, consolidated, easy-to-grab list of what’s in Lynn, and I really rely on that,” she said.The guide also has a comprehensive list of Lynn schools and their contact information as well as hotlines and emergency phone numbers. It is indexed in English and Spanish, and programs that speak languages other than English are noted.The book has quadrupled in size since its last publication. When you think about it, that’s an impressive list of services for one city, Fountain said.”We have a lot more services than I thought we had,” she said.There’s even more for users in the online edition, which is searchable by category and has a section where nonprofits can suggest a change to their information or list a new one.The entire booklet cost $4,000 and was paid for by a state grant from the Department of Early Childhood Education and a local grant from Lynn Community Connections Coalition, a nonprofit that serves residents with various programs.Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy said she hopes the new services guide promotes awareness of all that Lynn offers.”We’re here to help; we just need people to come forward that want it,” she said.If you go: The Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Committee is hosting a Lynn Community and Family Resource Fair, 5:30-7:30 p.m. March 28th at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute foyer. Children up to age 14 and their families are welcome. More information.
Amber Parcher can be reached at [email protected].