Somerville Arts Organization Awarded Grant To Support Winter Farmers Market

SOMERVILLE, MA — The Center for Arts at the Armory has been awarded a $75,000 grant from Cummings Foundation as part of the nonprofit's annual $35 million grant program, according to an announcement from the Somerville-based organization.

Arts at the Armory was selected as one of 150 nonprofits to receive funding through the competitive program, which drew a record 959 applicants this year.

The grant will support the Somerville Winter Farmers Market, one of Arts at the Armory's signature programs. The market aims to improve access to healthy food during the winter months by accepting SNAP benefits and offering a SNAP match program for eligible shoppers.

“Our Farmers Market is a beacon in the community during the winter months and ensures that healthy, locally produced food is available to all regardless of economic status,” Arts at the Armory CEO Stephanie Scherpf said in a statement. Scherpf added that the funding comes as the organization concludes a three-year grant from the Somerville Health Foundation that has supported the market.

This year, the Woburn-based Cummings Foundation increased its annual grant program from $30 million to $35 million and shifted to a fully unrestricted funding model, allowing organizations to determine how grant dollars are used.

“Nonprofit professionals are closest to the challenges facing their communities, making them best positioned to determine where and how new funds will drive the greatest impact,” Cummings Foundation Executive Director and Trustee Joyce Vyriotes said. “By providing increased, flexible funding, we hope to strengthen organizations’ long-term stability and help them respond to evolving community needs.”

The annual grant program supports nonprofits primarily serving Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, as well as Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley. This year's recipients represent organizations focused on issues including food insecurity, housing, education, healthcare, mental health services, immigrant support, and youth programming.

Since its founding, Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $650 million to nonprofits across Greater Boston.

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