Lawrence nonprofit receives 10 year, $750,000 Cummings grant for food

Bread & Roses is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The Lawrence-based organization was selected from a total of 715 applicants during a competitive review process. They will receive $750,000 over 10 years.

Bread & Roses’ mission is to fight food insecurity and empower the community. This year, Bread &
Roses is distributing 56 times more food than last year. Their small team of eight helps more than
13,000 people monthly access food, clothing, toiletries, and other necessities. They don’t accept any form of state or federal funding and don’t require any ID.

“We are forever grateful to Cummings Foundation for their support,” says Jessica Gordon, Bread & Roses executive director. “This means so much to our small team and our vibrant and diverse
community.”

This grant will help Bread & Roses with their plan to move to a larger space less than one square
mile away from their current location, with the goal to serve even more families in need.
The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are
based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, plus six communities in Norfolk County: Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.

Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the areas where it
owns commercial property. Its buildings are all managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its
affiliate, Cummings Properties. This Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages11 million square feet of debt-free space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.

“Greater Boston is fortunate to have a robust, dedicated, and highly capable nonprofit sector that
supports and enhances the community in myriad ways,” said Cummings Foundation executive
director and trustee Joyce Vyriotes. “The entire Cummings organization is thankful for their daily
work to help all our neighbors thrive.”

The majority of the grant decisions were made by nearly 100 community volunteers. They worked
across a variety of committees to review and discuss the proposals and then, together, determine

which requests would be funded. Among these community volunteers were business and nonprofit
leaders, mayors, college presidents, and experts in areas such as finance and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).

“We believe strongly that grant decisions will be more equitable when made by a diverse group of
community members,” said Vyriotes. “We’re incredibly grateful to the dozens of individuals who
participated in our democratized philanthropic process.”

The Foundation and volunteers first identified 150 organizations to receive three-year grants of up to $300,000 each. The winners included first-time recipients as well as nonprofits that had
previously received Cummings grants. Twenty-five of this latter group of repeat recipients were then selected by a panel of community volunteers to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards
ranging from $300,000 to $1 million each.

This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including housing and food insecurity, workforce development, immigrant services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 49 different cities and towns.

Cummings Foundation has now awarded $500 million to greater Boston nonprofits. The complete
list of this year’s 150 grant winners, plus nearly 2,000 previous recipients, is available at
www.CummingsFoundation.org. You can learn more about Bread & Roses and their mission and www.breadandroseskitchen.org.