City awards ARPA funds to American Association for Arab Women

The City of Malden recently announced the award of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in the amount of $25,000 to the American Association for Arab Women (AAAW). The AAAW is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of Arab women in Massachusetts. The award was recommended by the City’s ARPA Subcommittee on Non-Profit Support, which is comprised of Councillor-at-Large Craig Spadafora, Malden Public Library Director Dora St. Martin and longtime resident Linda Zalk. The request for funding was enthusiastically supported and approved by Mayor Gary Christenson.

Like other nonprofits, AAAW experienced a negative economic impact from the pandemic, and the funds will help support ongoing efforts of bringing together women who recently have come to the United States with more established immigrants to discuss problems and find better ways of coping with social and cultural challenges. Supporting nonprofits in general is an allowable use of ARPA, particularly given the difficulty these organizations faced during the pandemic in carrying out their mission.