Dedication of John J. Lydon Help Fund
At the end of March 2019, John J. Lydon retired from COMPASS after serving the organization for 44 years. To celebrate all of John’s accomplishments and commitment to COMPASS, a retirement celebration was held on Friday, September 13 at Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy. Many current staff, former staff, Board of Directors members, and other family and friends gathered for an evening of reminiscing, good food, and to honor John’s career devoted to youth and families in need.
During John’s tenure as Executive Director, COMPASS established the Help Fund to assist clients with financial emergencies, such aswith groceries, clothing, housing, and education for youth. Families that are experiencing a situation where they need help with accessing basic needs receive small grants through the Help Fund. During the past year, more than 70 requests were approved totaling over $30,000.
A few examples of the Help Fund in action include:
- A COMPASS School student and their family were living in a homeless shelter with winter approaching. The Help Fund provided assistance for the student to purchase pants and other warmer clothes to be prepared for colder weather.
- A family served by COMPASS’ Worcester Office received support from the Help Fund to attend a welding class. The family recognized that they needed to have some additional certifications and qualifications to obtain better jobs to support their child.
- A family served by COMPASS’ Lawrence Office received a furniture donation from a local organization, but they did not have any way to transport it to their new housing. The family received support from the Help Fund to rent a truck to transport their new furniture.
The retirement celebration included speeches from former Executive Director Dave Manzo and current Executive Director Laura Lajewski (pictured on right with John), who stated: “it is my pleasure to announce that we will name the Help Fund after John to be the John J. Lydon Help Fund.” This dedication was effective immediately, and the John J. Lydon Help Fund will remain a beneficial resource for many years to come.
If you wish to contribute to the John J. Lydon Help Fund, please click HERE and check-off the appropriate box on the donation form to direct your donation to the fund.