The Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce recently announced four nominees for its Nonprofit of the Year Award at the 2024 GLCC Annual Business Excellence Awards in March.

The nominees for the Nonprofit of the Year Award are Lynn Community Television, Lynn Museum/LynnArts, My Brother’s Table, and the Haven Project. 

The Haven Project’s mission is to fight homelessness for adults between the ages of 17 and 24. Executive Director Tracey Scherrer Friedman and her team work to end homelessness by providing programming and housing solutions for the clients they serve. Scherrer Friedman said the nomination will shed light on the Haven Project’s efforts and result in more exposure for the nonprofit. 

“This is a really good time for people to learn what we’re doing and to get involved,” Scherrer Friedman said. “It’s rewarding to get recognized no matter the outcome.”

“It also puts us in front of an audience that hasn’t heard about us, and that’s important,” she added. 

The Haven Project also owns and operates Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee, a cafe just next door to the nonprofit. All the proceeds from the coffee shop benefit the organization. Scherrer Friedman said many people don’t know about the cafe or the work that the Haven Project does. 

“It’s a double impact there, it’s important for people to know who we are,” Scherrer Friedman said.

My Brother’s Table is the largest soup kitchen on the North Shore and has provided more than 7.5 million hot, free meals and outreach to men, women, and children in need, according to the organization’s website.

“The table was founded by a group of people who saw a problem, hunger, and worked together to plan a way to alleviate some of it,” Executive Director Dianne Kuzia Hills said. “The table remains true to that mission, utilizing community volunteers in every facet of our work. Without the community, the table would not exist.”

Lynn Community Television is also up for the Nonprofit of the Year Award. Executive Director Seth Albaum said the station strives for digital equity.

“We believe that access to broadband is not the only piece of digital equity that matters. We provide the training and tools for community members to elevate their voices and have a platform through both online and cable video,” Albaum said. 

LCTV runs a local access outlet and a government channel that brings municipal meeting coverage to Lynn and is accessible via streaming and social media.  

“I’m glad we’re nominated because it means some people are recognizing the importance of the services we provide. We connect people to the city through local media and we provide residents with the opportunity and necessary training to do so as well,” Albaum said. 

Doneeca Thurston joined Lynn Museum/LynnArts as its executive director in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the museum to close its doors in 2020, but Lynn Museum/LynnArts will return on Feb. 1, adding more hours and expanded programs. Thurston said she is excited for the new season for the museum, and that it is a privilege to create accessible opportunities for all to enjoy. 

“Even if we don’t get the award, it’s such an honor to be considered and it really cements the work that we do,” Thurston said. “For us, it’s continuing to celebrate our community and legacy we have here, not just the history but the arts as well.”

The GLCC 2024 Business Excellence Awards will be held on March 28 at 6 p.m. at 161 Elliott St. in Danvers. 

Receiving awards in the Lynn City Pride category are the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Lynn, which provides financing to businesses in the city, and Antonio Gutierrez and Teresa DiGregorio from Lynn Youth Street Outreach Advocacy.

EDIC/Lynn Executive Director Jim Cowdell said his team works closely with Mayor Jared Nicholson’s office on projects of different sizes throughout the city. He highlighted some of EDIC/Lynn’s recent accomplishments, including its work to ensure the opening of a shared kitchen on Sanderson Avenue.

“Everybody that works at EDIC lives here, so we’re very proud of the city and we want it to do well,” Cowdell said.

Gutierrez serves as the program director for LYSOA, while DiGregorio is the executive director. They work with at-risk youth and young adults to “build relationships to help them find a positive purpose in life,” DiGregorio said. 

“We were very happy to be rewarded,” DiGregorio said. “Outreach is very important in the city.”