Below is a press release from the Wilmington Police Department:
WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington Wellness Coalition is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The Wilmington-based Coalition Board was selected from a total of 715 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $150,000 over three years.
The Wilmington Wellness Coalition (WWC), a specialized Board of the Town of Wilmington, seeks to address the rising concerns of behavioral health needs within the Wilmington community by providing prevention, education, and support in efforts to promote healthy and responsible behaviors. WWC is comprised of members of the community and other Town Departments who serve different populations of Wilmington, such as the Health & Recovery Unit (Police/Fire), Elder Affairs, Veteran Affairs, and the Public School District.
“Receiving this grant allows WWC to take actionable steps towards removing gaps in services, as identified through a recent Caretaker Survey and the results from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). These funds will provide direct and customized care to individuals directly or indirectly impacted by behavioral health”, said Wilmington Police Health & Recovery Coordinator and Chair of WWC, Samantha Cavanaugh.
In conjunction with some Opioid Settlement Abatement Payouts which the Town of Wilmington is receiving these funds will help make it possible to provide clinical support to residents that are seeking therapy but are experiencing roadblocks in establishing long-term therapy. The goal is to provide residents access to cost-free services with a referral from a partnering Town office to promote immediate clinical interventions and therapy. Individuals of diverse experiences will be serviced, including, but not limited to children, adolescents, adults, seniors, veterans, LGBTQ+, substance use, mental health, developmental health, and trauma.
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.
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 manages 11 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.
About Wilmington Wellness Coalition
Established in 2014 by members of the Town of Wilmington, WWC has offered community education, substance use prevention efforts, and brought key stakeholders to the table with shared goals of service delivery around present behavioral health needs. Today, WWC continues to strive to meet community-based needs through providing free of charge activities and resources. More information is available at https://www.wilmingtonma.gov/wilmington-wellness-coalition.
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, MA and has grown to be one of the largest private foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities, in Marlborough and Woburn, and Cummings Health Sciences, LLC. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
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