Maria Droste Counseling Services receives TBF $50,000 grant

Quincy, MA – Maria Droste Counseling Services, Inc. (MDCS) announced they received a $50,000 grant from the Boston Foundation in support of their mission to provide mental health counseling and holistic therapies that are compassion-based and affordable to all in need.

“This grant will allow us to provide continued access to affordable and compassionate care, especially when the demand for mental health services continues to rise,” Executive Director Michael Shanahan said. This past year, MDCS held 6,745 counseling sessions, with 91% of clients served receiving a reduced fee.

Maria Droste Counseling Services was founded in 1992 in Quincy, MA, with the goal of making mental health affordable and accessible by targeting people who otherwise might not receive mental health services. Today, MDCS serves all of Massachusetts with its professional and compassion-based in-person and teletherapy counseling and holistic services. Client testimonials point to the impact Maria Droste has had on the community. One client left a note stating, “You have made a tremendous difference in my life, and I don’t know where I’d be without the support I receive here!”

“MDCS meets critical needs for thousands of people in Greater Boston,” said Orlando Watkins, Vice President and Chief Program Officer at the Boston Foundation. “At a time when we all know the trauma that the pandemic and post-pandemic periods have inflicted on people throughout the region, we are pleased to be able to partner with MDCS to support their mission through our Safety Net Grants program.”

Funds for this grant come from the Boston Foundation’s Fund for Boston’s Future, an endowed pool of funds built over more than a century by generous contributors who want to help the Greater Boston community thrive. Each year, the Boston Foundation distributes grants and other resources from the Fund to nonprofits serving the Foundation’s catchment area.

***

Maria Droste Counseling Services (MDCS) is a community mental health counseling agency serving Massachusetts. The organization’s mission is to provide professional mental health counseling & holistic therapies that are compassion-based and affordable to all in need. To learn more about MDCS and it's services, visit www.mariadrostecounseling.com.

The Boston Foundation is one of the nation’s first and most impactful community foundations. Partnering with community members, donors, the public sector, businesses, and nonprofits, we exist to close the gaps caused by our city’s greatest disparities, to advance economic justice, and to help build a better Boston. We collect data, commission research, share knowledge, develop dynamic programs, fuel new ideas, and fund change. Our work informs public policy, catalyzes conversations, and advocates not only for change but also for repairing the historical harms of inequity. Ultimately, we aim to support, contribute to, and create well-being and opportunity within our communities. TBF is also one of New England’s largest grantmakers, supporting nonprofits in Greater Boston through our endowment and working closely with our donors to support nonprofits locally, nationally, and internationally. To learn more about the Foundation and its work, visit TBF.org.