Group Serving Needy Wins $5,000 Award

Meet Each Need With Dignity, an organization serving needy individuals and families in the Valley, has won a $5,000 Community Catalyst Award from Bank of America.

MEND administrators plan to use the money to help fund a computer lab--currently open to the public for free--and for English-as-a-second-language classes scheduled to start Sept. 14, said Marianne Haver Hill, the group’s executive director.

“We’ve actually applied [for the grant] several times,” Haver Hill said. “This is the first time that we’ve gotten it . . . We were just really pleased.”

Bank of America plans to distribute $250,000 to various service groups through the award program, $5,000 at a time, bank officials said.

To be eligible for the award, organizations must be involved in the direct delivery of services such as job training, child care, fostering community leadership or improving local education, bank officials said.

Haver Hill said MEND relies on private donations, grants and awards to fund its services, which include distributing and medication, and providing free dental care.

MEND’s computer lab, where educational software is available, is open to adults from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and to children from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

The organization is at 13460 Van Nuys Blvd. For information, call (818) 897-2443.