Meet the Team

Levenia Furusa

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit our community hard, forcing businesses and food pantries to shut down. Food insecurity increased dramatically in our community. Before the pandemic, DHOH served 400 families per month, which spiraled to 800 plus families per month with emergency food, baby food and formula, gift cards, household supplies (including soap, hand sanitizer and bleach), personal protection equipment and diapers for children and the elderly. We also increased our home deliveries from 100 per week to over 350 per week. In the same year, she was awarded the Greater Lowell Community Foundation's Community Connector Award in recognition for her work in the community. The City of Lowell also recognized her for going beyond simply operating a food pantry, while serving immigrants and refugees in Lowell

To date, DHOH currently serves an average of 23,500 unique clients distributing over 190,000 pounds of food. 49% of our clients are adults between the ages of 18 and 64, 40% are children under the age of 18 and 11% comes from seniors 65 and above. Levenia continues to expand and has made a remarkable contribution in the Merrimack Valley and beyond. DHOH functions as a micro–Food Bank for eleven local churches with congregations primarily comprised of diverse underserved communities. Additionally, Food pantry services are provided to nine local service agencies. Expansion of Food pantry services are ongoing to support organizations that work with the City’s unhoused population. “Adopted” the McAuliffe Elementary School for selected food distribution.

Levenia is also a founding Board member and President of the Lowell African Cultural Association, which hosts the annual Lowell African Festival. She is certified as an Intensive foster care provider and works with children through the Department of Children and Social Services. She has been certified as a trainer by American Red Cross in First Aid, CPR/AED and Responding to Emergencies and by ServSafe for food safety and teaches cooking classes. She is certified by MA Alliance in Sober Housing to open and run a sober house and is also a COVID-19 compliance officer. She is a council of experts of Project Bread. Levenia Furusa is an appointed Commissioner on the City of Lowell Hunger Homeless Commission, an active member of the Greater Lowell Non-Profit Association, The Greater Lowell Health Alliance’s (GLHA) Health Equity and Wellness & Chronic Health Task Forces. The DHOH is also represented on the Department of Transitional Assistance’s Greater Lowell Office Advisory Board, the Department of Mental Health’s Greater Lowell Office Advisory Board, the GLHA’s Behavioral Health and Housing & Build Environment Task Forces, the State SNAP Coalition, and the City’s Fair Housing and Housing Choice Coalitions. Levenia Furusa is a US Federal Chaplin.