E-Newsletter: August 2011

Introduction

As I read about our struggling economy and the demographic changes we are experiencing in our communities, it is clear that the Foundation must take a leadership position in supporting MetroWest.

Poverty and unemployment are no longer centered in major urban areas. Today more poor people live in the suburbs of our metropolitan areas than in the central cities. (Yet perceptions persist that this is not the case.) Addressing this will take the combined effort of both government and philanthropy. Foundations like ours can play an important role and there is no time to lose.

As Scott Allard describes in his recent article in The New Republic, “Charitable foundations often support the most innovative social programs and nonprofit entrepreneurs. Foundations convene community stakeholders to discuss pressing needs which can shape policy agendas and promote more effective deployment of public program resources.”

Suburban community foundations have generally not enjoyed the same level of support as their urban counterparts. A Brookings Institute Report issued in July reports that even through suburban poor populations are growing rapidly, suburban community foundations tend to be newer and smaller than those in core cities, with smaller asset bases. They state that one way to strengthen the suburban safety net is to have strong suburban community foundations.

The Foundation believes that giving locally builds community and enhances the quality of life for all our citizens, and we have always worked toward these goals. We find ourselves in a situation today where the needs around us are becoming critical. The dedicated nonprofit organizations in our communities are working hard to meet the needs. But they can’t do it alone.

It is clear that MetroWest deserves a strong community foundation. Your involvement is more important than ever. Get engaged. Volunteer or serve on the board of one of the amazing MetroWest nonprofits. Give generously to one of the Foundation’s funds so that we can increase our grantmaking capability and support more projects that offer great value to the community.

Another thing you can do throughout the year is assist in keeping the MetroWest food pantries stocked and ready. As the next article describes, this is especially important in the summer and right after the holidays, when donations traditionally go down.

We need to act now. With your help the Foundation can step forward and address more of the challenges we face in our own backyard.

All the best,
Judy Salerno
Executive Director

For more information,,,

Consult the following articles for more information about changing demographics and the role of community foundations.

Allard, Scott, "Tackling Today's Poverty with Yesterday's Philanthropy", The New Republic, August 1, 2011.

Kaiser, Michael, "In Praise of Foundations", Huffposts Arts, August 1, 2011.

Rechow, Sarah and Weir, Margaret, "Building a Stronger Regional Safety Net: Philanthropy's Role", Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, July 2011.

Local Food Pantries Work to Meet the Needs

Summer months have always been difficult for food pantries. Once school is out the need for food goes up, as young people no longer have access to free and reduced lunches. At the same time, donations go down. Many groups that regularly donate, such as school clubs or Boy Scouts, do not meet in the summer. Vacations take people out of town for extended periods, while others just don’t tend to associate warm weather with the need for food.

More recently food pantries in MetroWest have been experiencing heightened demand throughout the year. The effects of the recession and changing demographics on food need are evident by looking at the increased enrollment in the free and reduced lunch programs. Over the past two years Natick has seen the percentage of students in the program increase 11%; Framingham almost 22%; and Marlborough 24%.

MetroWest is fortunate that there are over 30 different food pantries addressing these needs. While they vary in size and operations, all are dedicated to serving the increasing numbers of families and individuals in our communities who require food assistance. All share the same dependence on grants and donations to operate, since there is no federal, state or town funding provided.

The Natick Service Council (NSC) in Natick provides approximately 2 weeks of groceries to around 200 clients per month. Clients are asked to meet with a case worker who can evaluate overall needs for service and make sure people understand what is available to them. NSC is experiencing a 10% rise in need over 2010, on top of an 8% rise the year before.

Patty Shaffer, Food Pantry Director, begins shopping early in the season so that she can cope with the lower donation base in the summer. In addition to groceries such as cereal and pasta, milk, cheese and meat is available. Patty works with organizations that include Massachusetts Horticultural Society and Vangarden Farm in Dover, and accepts donations from local gardeners so that she can provide fresh produce as often as 3 times/week. Panera Bakery helps out with bread donations.

Mary Kulas, Executive Director of St. Bridget’s Food Pantry in Framingham, has seen the need grow during the 5 years she has participated. “We talk about the quiet days when I first started as a volunteer,” she says. “At that time we might see about 20 people on a Monday or Friday, with about 40 coming in on Wednesday. Now we see 30-50 people every day we are open. We serve approximately 140 people every week.”

St. Bridget's provides pre-packed bags of food staples but also offers bread and baked goods, meat, fish, dairy, and fresh produce. While a significant amount of food comes from The Greater Boston Food Bank, St. Bridget's is able to offer more thanks to generous donations from Trader Joe's, Sudbury Farms, Starbucks and Stearns Organic Farms.

Marlborough Community Services (MCSI) supplies food monthly to around 600 people. Like the other pantries, MCSI sees a lot of concern among parents during the summer. A Direct Services component provides staff and trained volunteers who review the life situation of the family or individual, and can provide access to additional services in the area.

Whether large or small, all the MetroWest food pantries share the same dependence upon volunteer labor, partnerships with local stores and farms, and donations of food and money from groups and individuals. A variety of food is available, some free and some at cost, from the Greater Boston Food Bank. Volunteers make trips into Boston, and search out sales at discount stores.

In addition to the summer months, there is generally a dip in donations in January and February, right after the Christmas holidays. We can all help by making an extra effort to donate during these times. By keeping our food pantries strong we reduce the chance that a family must choose between food and heat, rent or medical care.

Apply for Youth Action Council

Now is the time to apply to join the Youth Action Council, our community-based grant making program. This group gathers young people from various MetroWest communities to work together throughout the school year—fundraising, accepting and evaluating grant applications, doing service work, awarding grants, and developing a greater understanding of the needs in their own backyards. Download the Youth Action Council Information Sheet to learn more.

In 2010 this group awarded over $8700, distributed between three deserving organizations: Decibels Foundation, Boys & Girls Club of Assabet Valley, and Camp Starfish. Read all about the last year’s program and the grants awarded. awarded.

Download the application and apply to be part of this very special program.

Youth In Philanthropy Grantees Share the News

Two groups participating in our Youth In Philanthropy program this past year awarded grants to organizations that are helping to enhance the quality of life for deaf youth.

The Appalachian Mountain Club Outdoor Adventure Initiative for Deaf Youth was awarded $2500 from the participants in our Concord Carlisle High School program. The Decibels Foundation received $3600 from the Youth Action Council to support early intervention for children with hearing loss. Read what these groups have to say about what it means to receive these grants:

In existence for over 14 years, the Youth in Philanthropy program has involved almost 400 young people who awarded over $250,000 in the last 5 years alone. Learn more about the program and how you can support it.

Register for Building a Strong Foundation: Board Basics

Registration is now open for the first of three, free workshops designed for Executive Directors or senior staff members accompanied by one or more Board members. Building a Strong Foundation: Getting the Board Basics Right, will be held on Friday, September 9 in the Wakelin Room of the Wellesley Free Library. Nonprofit consultants Amy Cahners and Susan Donahue will lead the session. Get more information and register>

Save the Dates for Upcoming Board Training Events

Mark your calendars now for:

Building a Better Board: Getting the Right People for the Job, to be held on November 18

and

Building Your Resources: The Board’s Role in Fundraising, to be held on December 9.

Registration will open later this month. Both workshops will be led by Amy Cahners and Susan Donahue and are offered free. Our board training sessions are made possible thanks to a grant from the Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation.

Grant Application Period Now Closed

The last applications for our 2011 Discretionary Grant Cycle were received on August 12. As always we are impressed with the dedicated MetroWest organizations that have requested support.

During the cycle we were able to offer 2 fine grantwriting workshops, which together were attended by 95 people and received very favorable reviews. We are grateful to our talented instructor, nonprofit consultant and grant writer Cynthia Hall Fouré, who volunteered her time to lead these sessions. We are also grateful to the Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation whose grant enables us to offer these workshops free of charge.

The hard work of evaluating and awarding grants now begins. Our Distribution Committee will spend this fall working toward their final decisions in Arts & Culture, Environment and Family Support. These awards will be announced at a ceremony in December. The Youth In Philanthropy program will be evaluating Youth Development grants and making decisions throughout the next 9 months. We thank all those who applied this year.

Community Events

The following is just a short list of MetroWest events that may be of interest. Consult our Community Calendar complete listing.

Fruitlands Museum, Guided Hike, Saturdays, August through November 15, 3:00 pm
Walk the museum trails with a staff member and learn about the historic sites within the museum's 210 pristine acres in Harvard. Additional events at the museum are found here>

Land’s Sake, Home Canning: Tomato Sauce, Saturday, August 20, 1:00 pm
Celebrate tomato and basil season and take home a jar of Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce at this hands-on canning workshop. For more information>

Submit an Event

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