13 Somerville Organizations Awarded Tufts Grants

SOMERVILLE, MA – The Tufts Neighborhood Service Fund has awarded close to $21,000 in grants to 36 community organizations in five cities and towns. The TNSF collects donations from faculty and staff at Tufts throughout the year and awards grants to community-based, charitable organizations in Tufts' host communities.

"The TNSF is just one way that Tufts University partners with nonprofit organizations in our host communities," Rocco Dirico, co-director of Tufts’ Government and Community Relations office, said in a statement.

Tufts community members must actively volunteer with an organization for it to be considered. A committee consisting of school administrators, faculty and staff meets annually to review proposals and select recipients.

This year 13 Somerville organizations received grants:

• Boys & Girls Club Somerville - $500 for a new digital camera for the photography club
• Community Action Agency Somerville - $500 in support of the Homelessness Prevention Program
• CASPAR - $500 to purchase new supplies, including sheets, blankets and towels
• Catholic Charities - $500 towards the purchase of a new freezer
• Groundwork - $250 to install pollinator gardens and outdoor classrooms at a Somerville public school
• Mystic Learning Center - $500 to reimburse the staff of the youth mentoring program
• Parts and Crafts - $250 to fund materials for a week-long program on robotics
• Second Chances - $500 to help build capacity by purchasing new collection bins
• Somerville Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) - $500 in funding for evening, weekend and emergency home-delivered meals for elders
• Somerville Community Growing Center - $250 to purchase supplies for international herbs and annual plantings
• Somerville Food Security - $700 in food and supplies
• Somerville High School - $275 for chemistry teacher Susan Schmidt’s class trip to the Diablo Glass School
• Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) - $1,000 for the purchase and installation of a security camera

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