United Way Raises $170,000 for Greater Lawrence Relief Fund, Continues Providing Disaster-Related 211 Service
September 21, 2018
National Grid Gives $50,000 to Help Families In Need
September 21, 2018 – United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley today announced it has raised $170,000 for its Greater Lawrence Relief Fund. The fund received a significant $50,000 contribution from National Grid to help families impacted by the recent gas explosions and fires meet their basic needs, recover from the displacement from their homes and businesses and rebuild their lives.
“We’re just at the beginning of the long road to recovery for these families,” said Michael K. Durkin, President and Chief Executive Officer at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. “It is heartwarming to see people and companies like National Grid coming together to help people in need in Greater Lawrence. Their support provides us with the opportunity to not only help people through this disaster, but also to connect them to the assistance and resources they need for long-term stability.”
National Grid, as the region’s electricity provider, provided assistance and also contributed mutual aid through the deployment of gas workers from across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York.
“This donation is just one way we are lending our support on behalf of all those affected by the recent events in the Merrimack Valley,” said Marcy Reed, Massachusetts president, National Grid. “The wellbeing of our local communities is enormously important to National Grid and we want to do our part to help assist our neighbors during this recovery process.”
Additionally, United Way is providing immediate assistance to Merrimack Valley families affected by the gas explosions in the region through its 211 service. In the first few days following the disaster, the 211 line responded to 3,755 calls for assistance related to the Merrimack Valley gas leaks. There have also been over 650 online searches for resources and assistance on the Mass 211 website, mass211.org.
United Way established the Greater Lawrence Relief Fund last week in partnership with TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank. Since its launch, the fund has raised over $170,000 through significant support from National Grid and online individual contributions. One-hundred percent of the funds raised will be distributed to help families in the affected communities and will be distributed in coordination with other funds and relief efforts.
Through United Way’s partnerships with community-based organizations like the Red Cross and others, the fund will help individuals and families in the communities of Andover, Lawrence and North Andover with their recovery and rebuilding efforts in the weeks and months ahead.
For more information or to donate to the fund, visit:
http://unitedwaymassbay.org/lawrencerelief
About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company that supplies the energy for more than 20 million people through its networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain.
National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Read more about the innovative projects happening across our footprint in The Democratization of Energy, an eBook written by National Grid’s US president, Dean Seavers.
For more information please visit National Grid’s website. You can also follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, friend us on Facebook, find our photos on Instagram.
For Newsroom inquiries, please contact Brigid Boyd, Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs, at bboyd@supportunitedway.org or 617-624-8252.