Community Foundation Annual Meeting Shines Light on Community Needs and Impact of Philanthropy
Nearly 150 business leaders, nonprofit professionals, and community members gathered at the Radisson in Chelmsford for the Greater Lowell Community Foundation’s Annual Meeting, “Road to Recovery,” on June 5, 2018. The evening’s keynote speaker was Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan. Ryan is recognized for her leadership on the opioid crisis and her innovative programs that address all aspects of abuse and addiction—prosecution, prevention, and treatment. In 2012, she founded the office’s first Opioid Drug Task Force in the Lowell region. At the meeting, she spoke about local efforts including her work to establish a drug court program in Lowell to assist people in recovery. A major impediment to the program is transportation as participants are travelling from across the region to attend programming and public transport can put participants at risk for relapse.