2022 Tufts Community Grants Recipients

April 22, 2022

The Tufts Community Grants Board awarded grants to 10 organizations in Boston, 5 organizations in Grafton, 10 programs in Medford, 10 organizations in Somerville.

TCG collects donations from university employees throughout the year and then awards grants to community-based, charitable organizations that serve Tufts’ host communities (Somerville, Medford, Grafton and Boston) and that actively engage Tufts volunteers in their work.

A committee comprised of Tufts administrators, faculty and staff meets annually to review proposals and select grant recipients. There was a total of $70,000 available to award to the 2022 TCG applicants. The committee received 90 proposals and selected 35 programs and projects for awards. Members of the TCG committee base their decisions on a desire to address the most pressing needs in the communities and to encourage expanded involvement of Tufts volunteers.

All grants awarded were $2,000.

Boston Recipients:

Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence: Purchase of culturally specific food for an emergency shelter that provides a refuge for pan-Asian survivors of domestic violence

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center: A mental wellness initiative providing culturally appropriate support to Asian immigrant and Asian American youth leaders

Daily Table: Coupons for economically vulnerable residents in Dorchester and Roxbury, supporting the purchase of fresh, culturally diverse produce and grocery staples

Fenway Cares: Purchase of food supplies for a biweekly food distribution initiative supporting food insecure families and seniors in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood

Fenway Community Center: Free programming for Fenway-area seniors attending in-person community-building events

Friday Night Supper Program: Purchase of 100 pairs of waterproof boots and warm socks for homeless and low-income individuals

Haley House: Purchase of durable furniture to create an outside dining option for their soup kitchen

Soccer Without Borders: Summer work stipends for five high school student leaders to coach soccer programs for refugee, immigrant, and asylee youth

Sociedad Latina: Mental health and wellness care packages for 50 high school youth enrolled in the Summer Learning Academy

Wang YMCA of Chinatown: Supplies and program enhancements for youth and senior activities including Take a Book/Leave a Book, Community Night Badminton and Ping Pong, and Teen Night

Grafton Recipients:

Apple Tree Arts: Youth theatre arts summer program expenses

Community Harvest: Supplies for the Volunteer Farming Program, which grows fruits and vegetables for food-insecure households

Grafton Food Bank: Funding for toiletry, personal care items, and underwear for clients, many of whom are seniors

Grafton Senior Center: Six months of free van rides for Grafton seniors to provide access to medical care and other necessities

Saint James Outreach: Gift cards for fresh produce, personal care items, and back-to-school items for financially insecure households in Grafton

Medford Recipients:

Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility: Trash bags, first aid supplies, trash grabbers, gloves, and other materials for a Middlesex Fells Reservation cleanup

Community Cupboard Food Pantry: Purchase of food pantry items and supermarket gift cards for food-insecure Medford residents

English At Large: Dictionaries, textbooks, and software for use in beginner English classes for immigrants

Friends of the Middlesex Fells: Funding for the Fells Trail Adopter Program, a volunteer trail maintenance and preservation initiative

Medford Community Chorale and Youth/Young Adult Chorus: Sheet music for community spring concert in the Caron Theatre at Medford High School

Medford Family Network: Funding for new programs for children diagnosed with autism, including adaptive swim, soccer lessons, and nature hikes

Medford Farmers Market: Additional funds for SNAP/EBT eligible customers to purchase fresh, healthy, and local food at the weekly market

Mystic River Watershed Association: Cleanup supplies and educational materials for youth engagement programs at the Mystic River

Mystic Valley YMCA: Three rolling shelves to transport, store, and display food at the Mystic Community Market, a full-service food pantry open six days a week

Sanctuary UCC: Funding to support a citywide meal-packing event, preparing 25,000 meals for food-insecure residents

Somerville Recipients:

The Beautiful Stuff Project: Supplies and an instructor stipend for a fused-glass interdisciplinary course with Somerville High School's art and science departments

Breakthrough Greater Boston: Funding to purchase copies of the community novel and literature books for the summer program's 245 middle school students

CASPAR: New undergarments for shelter residents and homeless individuals receiving support from the street outreach team

Community Cooks: Updated technology to improve the coordination and delivery of home-cooked meals to vulnerable populations seeking support at local human service agencies

East Somerville Main Streets: Marketing and operation costs to start a new Sunday Farmers Market in East Somerville that will be free for vendors to participate for the first year

Mystic Learning Center: Purchase of translation devices and interpreters' services to improve multilingual communication with families and community members

Partners for Youth With Disabilities: Funding for closed captioning and personal care attendant services to support the Mentor Match program

RESPOND: Paint, furniture, sensory toys, and books to revitalize the counseling office and children's playspace at the shelter

Somerville Homeless Coalition: Basic supplies and funding for street outreach program to assist individuals with vital document/ID fees, cell phones, and transportation costs

Somerville High School: Lab coats for participants in the high school's dental assistant program