SALEM — The Salem-based nonprofit Root was one of the groups chosen from a total of 590 applicants to receive $350,000 over 10 years through the Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program.
Root’s Executive Director M. Scott Knox said this award will help Root provide 3,500 meals annually for those in need, create jobs for youth who have been left out of the workforce and support local farmers with every meal served.
“We are absolutely honored by this transformative award from the Cummings Foundation to support Root’s Community Catering Initiative,” Knox said. “The Cummings Foundation has been one of Root’s most important champions since 2018, and this new multi-year commitment anchors Root’s unique approach to addressing food insecurity in Essex County.”
Root’s mission is to help young adults create a pathway to independence through food service training and employment by developing essential life and work readiness skills to prepare youth for success in the workplace.
Root Head Chef Sam Hunt said Root produces 500 to 700 fresh, nutritious meals for seniors, families and children experiencing food insecurity and for clients served by Lifebridge, The Salem Pantry, My Brother’s Table and other North Shore agencies.
Hunt said all of the meals are made by graduates of Root’s youth job training program, “who continue their skill development and training at above minimum wage in Root’s production kitchen.”
“We are so grateful to the Cummings Foundation for their investment in Root and our young people,” Hunt said.
Eboni Williams, one of Root’s alumni employees, said he started working with the organization’s Community Catering Team in 2020 after graduating from Root in 2018.
“I’ve been able to further develop my culinary skills and grow as a leader in the kitchen,” Williams said. “I’m excited that Root has funding for the next 10 years to hire other alumni to be a part of our work feeding community.”
The Cummings $25 Million Grant Program supports Massachusetts nonprofits based in and primarily serving Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk counties.
This place-based initiative aims to give back in the area where Cummings owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed at no cost to the foundation by its affiliate, Cummings Properties.
“We aim to help meet the needs of people in all segments of our local community,” said Cummings Foundation Executive Director Joel Swets. “It is the incredible organizations we fund, however, that do the actual daily work to empower our neighbors, educate our children, fight for equity and so much more.”
This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including social justice, homelessness prevention, affordable housing, education, violence prevention and food insecurity. The nonprofits are spread across 43 different cities and towns.
“We have adopted a democratic approach to philanthropy, which empowers an impressive roster of dedicated volunteers to decide more than half of all our grant winners each year,” said Swets. “We benefit from their diverse backgrounds and perspectives; they benefit from a meaningful and fulfilling experience, and the nonprofits often benefit from increased exposure and new advocates.”
The complete list of 140 grant winners, plus more than 800 previous recipients, is available at
http://www.CummingsFoundation.org.
The Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $300 million to greater Boston nonprofits.