Ruth’s House is in its 26th year of providing clothing to those in need within the Merrimack Valley.
Representing RUTH’S HOUSE, Board President Barbara Donegan and Board Member Harriet Brooks will join approximately 300 other guests at a reception at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn to celebrate the $10 million infusion into Greater Boston’s nonprofit sector. With the conclusion of this grant cycle, Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $220 million to Greater Boston nonprofits alone.
Our Board President, Barbara Donegan, upon hearing we would be receiving the Cummings Grant said “I’m so excited! Ruth’s House is very thankful that the Cummings Foundation has chosen to help us to continue to serve the needs of many in our community who require job training and the basic necessity of clothing.”
Ruth’s House plans to use the grant to hire a Fundraiser Program Manager whose efforts will enable us to continue our mission of offering job opportunities and providing clothing to individuals and families who are in need of our services.
The $100K for 100 program supports nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the area where it owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate Cummings Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings of Winchester, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages 11 million square feet of space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.
“We are indebted to the nonprofit organizations like RUTH’S HOUSE that have a meaningful positive impact on the local communities where our colleagues and clients live and work,” said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation’s executive director. “We are delighted to invest in their important programs and services.”
This year’s diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including homelessness prevention and affordable housing, education, violence prevention, and food insecurity. Most of the grants will be paid over two to five years.
Cummings Foundation announced an additional $10 million in early May through its new Sustaining Grants, which extend “$100K for 100” funding for previous winners for 10 more years. Beginning in 2019, the Foundation will increase its total annual giving through these two programs from $20 million to $25 million.
About Ruth’s House
The Thrift Shop at Ruth’s House opened its doors in a small location in Haverhill in 1992. It was begun by a woman who realized there were many people like herself and her son who were in need of decent clothing, but couldn’t afford to shop in regular stores. Divorce, Joblessness, Disabilities, Homelessness, Domestic Violence, and Mental Illness are all conditions that can lead to poverty and the need for help in fulfilling basic needs, of which one is clothing. These are the individuals and families who are welcomed at Ruth’s House. For many adults attaining job skills are a way to bring hope and dignity to their lives which is why Ruth’s House offers job training opportunities to so many in the community.
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn. Bill Cummings released his self-written memoir, “Starting Small and Making It Big: An Entrepreneur’s Journey to Billion-Dollar Philanthropist,” in March 2018. The book may be purchased at cummings.com/book.