United Way of Tri-County awarded Cummings Grant for Marlborough Community Cupboard program

The United Way of Tri-County and its Marlborough Community Cupboard staff and volunteers are smiling behind their masks and are thrilled to announce receipt of a Cummings grant. L to R: Sue Dolesh, Jordan Savitzky, Paige Savitzky, Susan Galloway, Becky Cosby, Barbara LaGrenade
 
 
Framingham, May 29, 2020 – The United Way of Tri-County (UWTC) is one of 130 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s $20 Million Grant Program. The Framingham-based organization was chosen from a total of 738 applicants during a competitive review process. Funding will support its Marlborough Community Cupboard program.
 
The United Way of Tri-County’s largest program area is food security. To help all residents have regular access to enough healthy food for three meals a day, UWTC runs two community meal programs and three food pantries, including the Marlborough Community Cupboard. The Marlborough Community Cupboard provides Marlborough residents with healthy food each month including shelf stable pantry items, fresh produce, meat, dairy, and bread. Clients can pick up additional produce once a week. By providing groceries to local residents, the Marlborough Community Cupboard reduces the financial burden on people with tight budgets as they work to become self-sufficient.
 
“We are thrilled to receive a Cummings grant which will help us increase capacity to serve Marlborough residents over the next four years,” said Paul Mina, UWTC’s President & CEO. “This funding comes at a time when need is growing and this generous support will position us well to meet increasing demand.”
 
The Marlborough Community Cupboard will use funding to provide monthly groceries, weekly fresh produce, grocery delivery to homebound people, and register individuals and families for SNAP benefits. Over four years it will build local relationships for increased food donations, increase the volume of food distributed, and register and recertify people for SNAP benefits (food stamps).
 
The Cummings $20 Million Grant Program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the area where it owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate, Cummings Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages 10 million square feet of debt-free space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.
 
The Cummings $20 Million Grant Program resulted from a merger of the Foundation’s two flagship grant programs, $100K for 100 and Sustaining Grants. This year the Foundation and its volunteers selected 130 organizations to receive grants of at least $100,000 each, including first-time recipients like the United Way of Tri-County. Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $280 million to greater Boston nonprofits.
 
“We have been impressed, but not surprised, by the myriad ways in which these 130 grant winners are serving their communities, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19,” said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation’s executive director. “Their ability to adapt and work with their constituents in new and meaningful ways has an enormous impact in the communities where our colleagues and leasing clients live and work.”
 
This year’s diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including homelessness prevention, affordable housing, education, violence prevention, and food insecurity. The nonprofits are spread across 40 different cities and towns, and most will receive their grants over two to five years. The complete list of 130 grant winners is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
 
Social distancing requirements will prevent Foundation and grant winner representatives from convening for a reception to celebrate the $20 million infusion into greater Boston’s nonprofit sector. Instead, Cummings Foundation expects hundreds of individuals to gather virtually for a modified celebration in mid-June.
 
About United Way of Tri-County
The United Way of Tri-County is a community building organization that brings people together to care for one another. It provides programs and services, connects volunteers, strengthens agencies, teaches social responsibility, and meets the critical needs of the community with the help of people like you. The Marlborough Community Cupboard is a program operated by the United Way of Tri-County. For more information visit www.uwotc.org.
 
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn, and Veterinary School at Tufts, LLC in North Grafton. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
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