PORTLAND — The Frances Hollis Brain Foundation Fund at the Maine Community Foundation has awarded 21 grants totaling $141,500 to nonprofit organizations that serve disadvantaged, underserved, and/or vulnerable communities in Maine, according to a news release from the Maine Community Foundation.

Grants from the fund include:
• Community Dental, to support the Low-Income Oral Health Access Program to provide oral health care services for low-income people living in the Lewiston area;
• Pine Tree Legal Assistance Inc., to address the most pressing needs of vulnerable youth in Maine to ensure their safety, well-being, and access to a meaningful education; and
• Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center, to provide a nutritious meal twice daily, five days/week and two evenings/month to those living in poverty and using the center’s services.

The Brain Foundation Fund awards grants to nonprofits that focus on individuals who live in Greater Portland, Lewiston/Auburn, Bath/Brunswick, Biddeford/Saco/Sanford, or to organizations with a statewide mission. Grants support early childhood care and education, extended day learning, community health clinics, oral health initiatives, hunger prevention and food security, homelessness alleviation and legal services connected to these areas.

The next deadline for applications is April 19. For more information, visit the foundation’s website or contact Senior Program Officer Stephanie Eglinton at seglinton@mainecf.org or 761-2440.

According to the release, David and Frances Brain established the Frances Hollis Brain Foundation in 1993 to address social issues and encourage the family’s future generations to contribute to the well-being of their communities in Maine, Georgia and Kentucky.

Headquartered in Ellsworth, with additional personnel in Portland, Dover-Foxcroft, and Mars Hill, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to provide strong investments, personalized service, local expertise, and strategic giving to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. To learn more about the foundation, visit mainecf.org.