Hannaford Supermarkets is donating more than $200,000 to expand access to mental health care for Lewiston-Auburn, and to provide other resources, following last week’s mass shooting that claimed 18 lives.
“Hannaford is woven into the fabric of Maine and we feel deeply connected to each community in our home state, including those in the Lewiston-Auburn area impacted by this devastating, senseless violence,” Mike Vail, president of Hannaford Supermarkets, said in a statement. “The effects of this tragedy will be long-lasting and far-reaching. This donation supports both today’s urgent needs, as well as those yet unknown, and will also increase access to mental health resources in the community.”
The Scarborough-based supermarket chain pledged $210,000 in total to assist the community in both immediate and long-term initiatives. Of that, $110,000 is designated to find a new care coordinator position through Tri-County Mental Health’s Project Support You program, which pairs trained mental health rehabilitation technicians with first responders to respond and follow up with individuals experiencing mental health and substance misuse challenges.
An additional $50,000 is going to the Maine Community Foundation’s Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund to support the needs of the victims, families and overall community impacted by the tragedy. All funding will be allocated to people directly affected by the events and the organizations that will help guide Lewiston-Auburn through the process of healing.
The company is also giving $15,500 to support L-A’s critical needs, including $3,000 in gift cards to the Mental Health Community Resource Center for distribution to area residents seeking drop-in resources; $7,500 in gift cards to Tri-County Mental Health for families directly affected by the shooting; and $5,000 in gift cards to the Lewiston Police Department to distribute within the community at their discretion.
An additional $35,000 will be distributed in the coming months to meet emerging, future needs of the victims and their families that are currently unknown.
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