SACO – Home improvement retail giant, Lowe’s, has awarded a Maine behavioral health nonprofit, $145,000 to rehab outdoor recreation in Saco. Sweetser is one of only 100 projects nationally selected by Lowe’s to receive a grant and the only project awarded in Maine. Lowe’s Hometowns, is a five-year, $100 million investment to support 100 high-impact nonprofit organizations each year with a $10 million investment. This is the second year of the program.

“This has been a dream that previously seemed out of reach for decades,” said Jodie Hansen, Sweetser’s Donor and Events Engagement manager. “Lowe’s recognizes the importance of helping restore and revitalize spaces that bring people together. Their impact will be felt for many years to come.”

Sweetser’s existing playgrounds located on their Saco campus will be made usable again and replaced with safe, durable equipment for young children to play, imagine, grow, and heal, acccording to press release. Sweetser’s existing tennis court will be reimagined into a modern multi-purpose play court that will basketball hoops and painted play features for games like pickleball, kickball, and 4-square.

“I can’t say enough about how this will positively impact the children we serve here,” said Jayne Van Bramer, Sweetser’s president & CEO. “Mental health is bettered by getting outdoors and connecting with one another in nature. Our students will greatly benefit from having more recreational opportunities from this project.”

The proposed project will benefit youth ages 5-18 engaged in Sweeter’s Child Crisis, Residential, and Educational Programs. These children are diagnosed with severe emotional and behavioral issues which keep them from living at home, in their communities, and attending public schools.

Work will begin later this summer, with the goal of completion by the end of the fall.