Boston Foundation issues second round of grants to meet needs for food, fuel, shelter

Boston – The Boston Foundation today announced it is making a second round of winter grants to organizations across Greater Boston that help provide food, fuel, and shelter to those in need. The eight grants, totaling $106,000, are made possible through the generosity of the Foundation’s donors, and are distributed through the Foundation’s Open Door Grants program. This round of grants brings the total Food and Fuel Fund distribution this winter to $186,000.

“Even a mild winter by New England standards can put a strain on those in our communities who are food or housing insecure, or are trying to afford the cost of heat,” said Orlando Watkins, Vice President for Program at the Boston Foundation. “The recent cycle of nor’easters is creating even greater pressures, not just in the city but across the region. We’re pleased to be able to offer this support to organizations that are helping provide much needed relief in challenging end to the winter.”

The Boston Foundation grants will provide general operating support to the following organizations:

­Boston

$15,000 to Rosie’s Place, for the meals and nutrition program.

$10,000 to Bridge over Troubled Waters, for its Warming Center, which provides homeless youth with overnight shelter during the winter months.

$10,000 to St. Francis House, for its continuum of direct services to alleviate or prevent homelessness and eliminate barriers to moving beyond homelessness.

Cambridge

$21,000 to Phillips Brooks House (Y2Y Harvard Square) for its student-run overnight shelter, which employs a youth-to-youth model to provide a safe and affirming environment for young adults experiencing homelessness.

Lynn

$15,000 to Lynn Economic Opportunity, for LEO's Fuel Assistance program, which assists low-income households in Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Saugus, Swampscott, and Wakefield by subsidizing and accessing discounts for winter utility bills.

Quincy

$10,000 to Quincy Community Action Coalition, for its fuel assistance program.

Statewide

$15,000 to the Salvation Army, for the Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund, which helps Massachusetts residents with energy expenses.

$10,000 to Project Bread, for Project Bread's toll-free FoodSource Hotline, a comprehensive statewide information and referral service in Massachusetts for people facing hunger.

“We are very fortunate to partner every day with donors whose generosity and care for the community shines through in their actions and donations,” said Kate Guedj, Chief Philanthropy Officer of the Boston Foundation. “Our Food and Fuel grantmaking is only possible because of their efforts.”

Since 2008, the Food and Fuel Fund at the Boston Foundation has made more than $3 million in grants to nonprofits working to meet basic needs in food, fuel, and housing over the winter months.

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The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, is one of the largest community foundations in the nation, with net assets of more than $1 billion. In 2017, the Foundation and its donors paid $130 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of more than $194 million. The Foundation is a close partner in philanthropy with its donors, with more than 1,000 separate charitable funds established either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. It also serves as a major civic leader, think tank and advocacy organization, commissioning research into the most critical issues of our time and helping to shape public policy designed to advance opportunity for everyone in Greater Boston. The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), a distinct operating unit of the Foundation, designs and implements customized philanthropic strategies for families, foundations and corporations around the globe. For more information about the Boston Foundation and TPI, visit tbf.org or call 617-338-1700.