English for New Bostonians, Boston Cares receive
Cummings Foundation grant of $100,000 for volunteer ESOL Tutor Corps
ESOL Tutor Corps connects local volunteers with immigrants and refugees learning English across Boston
BOSTON, MA - June 5, 2017 A partnership between English for New Bostonians (ENB) and Boston Cares is one of 100 local nonprofits to receive a grant of $100,000 each through Cummings Foundation's "$100K for 100" program. The Boston-based organizations were chosen from a total of 549 applicants during a competitive review process.
ENB supports 25 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs for low-income immigrants across the city of Boston, reaching approximately 1,100 students every year. Boston Cares mobilizes individual and corporate volunteers who strengthen communities and improve the lives of people in need, engaging thousands of adults, children, teens and corporate partners annually serving 67,000 hours at 165 schools and nonprofits. The ESOL Tutor Corps will add in-class, small group, and individualized assistance for 210 students each year, allowing them to attain their economic, educational and civic goals more quickly.
Representatives from ENB and Boston Cares will join approximately 300 other guests at a reception at Trade Center128 in Woburn on June 8, 2017 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 $170 million to local nonprofits.
"Cummings' support for immigrant and refugee communities, and the organizations that serve them is exactly what is needed from our philanthropic community right now," said Claudia Green, ENB's Executive Director. "We are deeply grateful for this grant, and look forward to welcoming new volunteers to building meaningful relationships with those making Boston their home."
"Partnering with English for New Bostonians, Boston Cares has introduced new ways to recruit and retain ESOL volunteers. The Cummings grant will allow us to expand and accelerate this work, leveraging more volunteers for one of Boston's most pressing needs," said Boston Cares Executive Director Patrice Keegan.
ENB and Boston Cares will expand their joint volunteer initiative, the ESOL Tutor Corps program, which helps adult immigrants learn English and gain confidence and skills to fully contribute as workers, parents, and community members. Volunteers in the Corps are exposed to rich experiences working directly with immigrants as part of a well-organized team, while building ESOL programs' capacity to reach more students.With Cummings Foundation support, ESOL Tutor Corps will build ESOL support infrastructure on a citywide level while ensuring distinct needs of hard-to-reach immigrant students at community programs are effectively met.
The Cummings Foundation grant comes at a time when both volunteers' good will and immigrant students' language acquisition needs are at record-high levels. Since November 2016, ENB has seen a 100% increase in individuals wishing to volunteer to assist immigrants.
The $100K for 100 Program supports nonprofits that are not only based in but primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. This year, the program is benefiting 35 different cities and towns in the Commonwealth. 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 affiliate Cummings Properties.
"Nonprofit organizations like ENB and Boston Cares are vital to the local communities where our colleagues live and work," said Joel Swets, Cumming Foundation's executive director. "We are delighted to invest in their efforts."
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. A complete list of 100 grant winners is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
English for New Bostonians' mission is to invest in the future of our region by creating opportunities for English language learners to pursue their educational, economic and civic aspirations. ENB programs serve 1100 students at 25 sites each year. The English Works Campaign, founded in 2008, activates unions, employers, immigrant community leaders, civic groups, and educators calling for government and private resources to sustain an ESOL system responsive to needs of immigrant workers and their employers.
Boston Cares mobilizes individual and corporate volunteers who strengthen communities and improve the lives of people in need. Boston Cares builds relationships with schools and nonprofits around needs that can be filled by volunteer teams; then recruits, orients and leads reliable volunteers who get the job done. Boston Cares' programs and service events engage thousands of adults, children, teens and corporate partners annually serving 67,000 hours at 165 schools and nonprofits.
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-Based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester. With assets exceeding $1.4 billion, it is one of the largest foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including two New Horizons retirement communities, in Marlborough and Woburn. Its largest single commitment to date was $50 million to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Additional Information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
