MutualOne Foundation Grant to Help Provide Summer Farm Work for Teens

The Natick Community Organic Farm recently received a grant of $2,500 from the MutualOne Charitable Foundation in support of a summer work program for young adults.

The Foundation funds are directed to the Farm’s Teen Work Crew program for youngsters aged 14 to 16. The program provides teens with the opportunity to gain a wide variety of skills including carpentry, mechanics, gardening, animal husbandry, and social skills. The paid positions require a commitment of 3 to 4 weeks of time during the summer months.  

“The TWC program provides teens with job training and valuable life skills, as well as what may be their first paid workplace experience,” said Robert P. Lamprey, chairman of the MutualOne Charitable Foundation in a press release. “For youngsters too young to be hired for most summer jobs, this is a unique opportunity to earn a wage while also gaining an education in agriculture and the environment.”

The grant to the Natick Community Organic Farm was among awards totaling $43,725 in the Foundation’s most recent round of funding.

The MutualOne Charitable Foundation is a continuation of the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation following the 2012 merger of Framingham Co-operative Bank and Natick Federal Savings Bank.

Since it was originally established in 1998, the Foundation has donated over $2.7 million to charitable, educational, and civic initiatives that improve and enhance the quality of life in Framingham, Natick, and surrounding communities.