Press Releases

LOWELL, MA. – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) applauded the awarding of $200,000 in federal grant funding from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families to LUK, Inc, a not-for-profit social service agency in Fitchburg. 

“As we continue to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can’t lose sight of this crisis’ impact on our youth, especially those who have been forced from their homes,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “This is a moment that requires more investments in organizations like LUK who are doing incredible work to make sure those vulnerable children have access to a safe shelter and an opportunity to continue improving their lives. This substantial federal investment will be key in bolstering those efforts in Central Massachusetts, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see it awarded to such an outstanding organization.”

“LUK is thrilled to receive funding from the Administration for Children and Families to provide emergency shelter and counseling services for youth under 18 who have been forced to leave their home or cannot live safely with a parent, legal guardian, or relative. LUK's Basic Center program works with young people to reunify with family whenever possible, obtain education or vocational advancement, improve social/emotional health and develop or strengthen permanent connections,” said Beth Barto, CEO of LUK, “If you are or know a young person 16-18 who is in need of shelter and counseling please contact: LUK at 800-579-0000.” 

Background:

Throughout her time in Congress, Trahan has been a strong proponent of legislation that seeks to end the addiction crisis and bolster mental health and substance abuse services. She is proud to be an original cosponsor of the CARE Act, an ambitious piece of legislation that would provide state and local governments with $100 billion in federal funding over ten years to help combat the opioid epidemic.

Additionally, Trahan is a member of the Freshman Working Group on Addiction, a bipartisan group working to better understand the far-reaching effects of addiction and to implement comprehensive policies to mitigate overdoses and deaths across the nation. In that role, Trahan introduced the National Family Caregiver Support Program Cap Elimination Act, bipartisan legislation that removes a funding cap under the Older Americans Act (OAA) that unnecessarily limits critical aid for older relative caregivers, including grandparents, who are serving in caregiving roles for their grandchildren due to the disrupting effects of the opioid addiction epidemic.

Since 1970, LUK, Inc. has been committed to providing a variety of programs that address mental and behavioral health, trauma, addiction and substance abuse prevention, and homelessness. The agency serves more than 3,700 youth, adults, and families annually, and its prevention, education, and training programs impact another 12,000 individuals. For those who would like to know more about the services offered by LUK during this pandemic, they can find out more by visiting their website or calling 800-579-0000.

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