Wakefield Food Pantry Awarded $195,000 Cummings Grant
Wakefield nonprofit receives 3 years of funding from Cummings Foundation
Wakefield, June 12, 2026 – Wakefield Food Pantry has been selected as one of 150 nonprofits to receive funding through Cummings Foundation’s annual grant program, which awarded $35 million this year. Chosen through a competitive review process that drew a record 959 applicants, the Wakefield Food Pantry will receive $65,000 over three years.
The Wakefield Food Pantry is a non-profit community organization dedicated to providing food, household necessities, and support to local families and individuals experiencing food insecurity. Operating out of the Americal Civic Center, the pantry relies on a network of volunteers, donations, and partnerships to serve over 800 households each year with respect and dignity.
“We are thrilled to receive this support from Cummings Foundation,” said Maureen Miller, executive director of the Wakefield Food Pantry. “Our neighbors depend on us, and the demand for our services continues to grow. We rely entirely on donations to sustain our operations; this grant will be vital in helping us meet that rising need and moving closer to our goal of ensuring no one in our community goes hungry.”
This year, the Woburn-based Cummings Foundation increased its annual grant program from $30 million to $35 million and shifted to fully unrestricted funding, allowing recipients to direct grant dollars where they are needed most.
Foundation executive director and trustee Joyce Vyriotes noted that the changes reflect growing concerns among Greater Boston nonprofits about rising costs, increased demand for services, and sustained uncertainty around public funding.
“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,” said Vyriotes. “By providing increased, flexible funding, we hope to strengthen organizations’ long-term stability and help them respond to evolving community needs.”
This year’s grant recipients represent a wide range of causes, including housing and food insecurity, education, workforce development, healthcare, mental health services, social justice, immigrant support, and youth programming.
The annual grant program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, as well as Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.
Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation reinvests in the areas where it owns commercial real estate. Its buildings are all managed at no cost to the Foundation by its affiliate, Cummings Properties, a Woburn-based commercial developer that leases and manages 11 million square feet of debt-free space. All rental profits support the Foundation.
Since its founding, Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $650 million to Greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s grant recipients, along with additional information about the Foundation and its grant programs, is available at CummingsFoundation.org.
About the Wakefield Food Pantry
Founded in 1982, the Wakefield Food Pantry is dedicated to eliminating food insecurity for Wakefield families. The pantry offers a supermarket-style shopping experience where guests can receive up to a week’s worth of fresh groceries and household staples twice a month. To ensure equitable access, they also run specialized initiatives, including senior mobile markets, Kids First Summer Program, veteran support, and 24/7 Little Free Pantries across town. Additional information is available at wakefieldfoodpantry.org.
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, Mass., and has grown to become one of the largest private foundations in New England. In addition to its annual grant program, the Foundation directly operates two not-for-profit retirement communities: New Horizons at Marlborough and New Horizons at Choate, in Woburn. Additional information is available at CummingsFoundation.org.