Wellspring House received a wonderful surprise earlier this week – a $50,000 unrestricted gift from the Cummings Foundationthrough its “Making a Difference Dollars” program which recognizes grantee organizations for exceptional community impact.
The nomination came from longtime Foundation volunteers who visited Wellspring this spring to learn about the organization’s new digital literacy program, embedded in our ESOL classes. In its first year, the program provided 111 computers and 70 internet hotspots to students at no cost – because English proficiency and technology skills together open the door to economic mobility. The volunteers were so moved by what they saw and so attuned to the financial challenges a program like this can face, that they recommended Wellspring for this additional support, presenting the award to President and Executive Director Melissa Dimond on July 13.
Cummings Foundation Site Volunteers Barbara Layne and Betsy Harper presenting Wellspring House’s President Melissa Dimond a check for $50K for its work throughout the North Shore
What struck them most, they shared, was Wellspring’s deep commitment to meeting each person where they are and helping them find their own financial footing, whatever challenges stand in the way.
“This was a wonderful and very generous surprise,” said Dimond. “We are very grateful to the Cummings Foundation for their ongoing support and belief in our work.”
The gift builds on the Foundation’s generous, multi-year investment in Wellspring in support of helping families and individuals achieve financial stability. The Cummings Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in Greater Boston and beyond, and its continued partnership recognizes Wellspring’s impact throughout the community.
Because the Cummings Foundation’s Make a Difference Dollars are unrestricted, Wellspring can make strategic decisions, respond to emerging barriers, and sustain innovations like the digital literacy program. With the Cummings Foundation’s continued partnership, Wellspring will expand access to education, job training, and career pathways, helping more North Shore families achieve the financial security they deserve.
To learn more about Wellspring’s programs — or to join the Cummings Foundation in supporting this work — visit wellspringhouse.org
Mayor Paul Lundberg joins students, families, and community members to honor milestone achievements in English language and digital literacy
On Thursday evening, June 18, Wellspring House welcomed nearly 100 guests to its annual ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Year-End Celebration in downtown Gloucester, honoring 51 students who completed English language and computer literacy courses this spring. The evening included a Certificate of Completion ceremony, remarks by Gloucester Mayor Paul Lundberg, and a reception featuring food prepared by students representing their home countries.
In total, 56 Certificates of Completion were presented recognizing completion of four spring ESOL classes and one spring Computer Class, with five students earning certificates in both. Mayor Lundberg joined the speaking program and took photos with students, celebrating a group that reflects the diversity and determination at the heart of the Gloucester community.
Wellspring 2026 ESOL Students with Mayor Paul Lundberg and Wellspring Volunteers
Meeting People Where They Are
Wellspring’s ESOL program is built on a simple but powerful principle – to meet people where they are and provide the range of services they need to move forward. Classes are offered in person at the Sawyer Free Library, a partnership that reflects Gloucester’s deep commitment to access and inclusion, and online, ensuring the program is available to participants regardless of schedule or circumstance.
The program’s core instruction is delivered by experienced teachers across three levels: Basic Beginner, Advanced Beginner, and Intermediate, with curriculum covering grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation alongside real-world skills such as completing job applications and navigating public services. Complementing the classroom experience, Wellspring volunteers lead small group sessions that provide additional support for students at all three levels, as well as focused instruction in foundational literacy skills and citizenship test preparation. Computer skills classes round out the program’s offerings.
Wellspring student Marlon Nunez, Wellspring’s Melissa Dimond and Mayor Paul Lundberg
This year, Wellspring also expanded its digital literacy offerings through 15-hour computer courses covering email, Google Suite, and internet browsing. To remove access barriers entirely, laptops and hotspots were distributed to students at no cost, made possible through a partnership with MassHire Metro North Workforce Board.
“These students are not just building language skills – they are building futures,” said Melissa Dimond, President and Executive Director of Wellspring House. “Every person who walks through our doors is working toward something larger – a better job, a stronger connection to their community, a more secure life for their family. That is exactly what Wellspring exists to support, and we are so proud of everything this year’s students have achieved.”
A Community of Friends and Neighbors
Gloucester has always been shaped by people who came here and built a life, and that story continues with this year’s graduates. These students are not just program participants; they are friends, neighbors, and part of the fabric of this community, working hard to build new skills and deepen their connection to the place they call home.
The impact of that work was best captured by the students themselves. Tania, an ESOL graduate, shared: “I applied for another job and the pay is better. Now I can make appointments for my children and for me without a translator, and in job interviews I no longer need to use a translator.” For Julio, the classroom built something equally important: “I’m feeling more confident when I have conversations with customers. Wellspring has helped me a lot to improve my English. I’m so happy to be here.”
Wellspring Student Yovany Bail Perez, Wellpsring Volunteer Tutor Elizabeth Hill & Wellspring’s Andy Allen
Why It Matters
For many North Shore families, limited English proficiency creates interconnected barriers to employment, stable housing, and civic participation. Financial security is the most powerful foundation for a healthy, self-determined life and English language proficiency is a critical gateway to getting there.
These outcomes are made possible by the generous support of donors, partners, volunteers, and advocates who believe that financial security and opportunity should be within reach for every North Shore resident.
To learn more about supporting or volunteering with Wellspring, please visitwellspringhouse.org.
June has been a season of celebration at Wellspring House. In a matter of weeks, we marked three milestones: 31 adults graduating from our Healthcare Office Support Training program at MGB Salem Hospital with a historic 100% graduation rate; 18 local Cape Ann high school graduates awarded scholarships, and the first Cape Ann High School Graduates Fund cohort to cross the college graduation stage; and 56 students completing spring English language and computer literacy courses at a joyful evening in Gloucester.
Each celebration is a testament to what becomes possible when opportunity and support come together, and a reflection of what this community has chosen to invest in.
But behind every ceremony is a harder truth. A thriving community depends on people who can afford to live and work locally. When housing becomes unstable and wages fail to keep pace with the cost of living, that foundation erodes. Parents without childcare, residents without reliable transportation, families in unstable housing – these are compounding barriers that, without the right support, make long-term stability feel out of reach.
Financial security is the most powerful lever we have for improving quality of life, health, and opportunity. That belief is at the core of everything Wellspring does.
Since 1981, Wellspring has worked to turn potential into progress across the North Shore, combining housing stability, education, job training, and career readiness under one roof. This year, we worked with more than 2,000 individuals and families across 20 cities and towns. We don’t ask people to choose between stability and advancement. We provide both, simultaneously, for as long as it takes.
Tuesday, June 30th marks the end of our fiscal year. If these stories move you, we invite you to learn more about Wellspring and consider joining the community of supporters who make this work possible. Visit wellspringhouse.org.
Cape Ann Community 