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A Wonderful Surprise for Wellspring House from the Cummings Foundation

~ Wellspring House

Wellspring House received a wonderful surprise earlier this week – a $50,000 unrestricted gift from the Cummings Foundation through 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

The Open Door FREE Summer Meals for Kids Program is Back!

~ todtheopendoor
From left: Summer Meals for Meals Associates Erin Cole, Somer O’Brien, and Abby Dawson, with Nutrition Education Coordinator Rachel Orie. (Photo Courtesy of The Open Door) 

The Open Door Summer Meals for Kids program is back! Local children and teens up to age 18 can get free breakfast and lunch meals at 16 locations across Cape Ann.

Last year, The Open Door Summer Meals for Kids program distributed 17,389 meals, all prepared in-house. The program has sites in Gloucester, Rockport, and Ipswich, and continues to add new locations each year.  

Full schedule below:

Gloucester Walk-Up Locations 

  • The Open Door at 28 Emerson Ave. From June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available for pick-up Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
  • Riverdale Park at 1A Veterans’ Way from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Thursday from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and Fridays from 11 to 11:45 a.m. 
  • Willowood Gardens at 40 Willowood Rd. from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 
  • Pond View Village at 23 Lepage Lane from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Friday from 11 to 11:30 a.m. 
  • Field Days at Burnham’s Field (with East Gloucester Community Church) from July 9-Aug. 27 on Thursdays, 11 to 11:45 a.m. 
  • Story Hour at the Sawyer Free Library (with Backyard Growers) at the Saunders House Lawn on 88 Middle St. from July 9-Aug. 27 on Thursdays, 11 to 11:30 a.m. 

Enrolled locations in Gloucester include: Gloucester High School, O’Maley Academy, Camp Spindrift, GPS Extended School Year at East Veterans, Literacy and Math Summer Learning at East Veterans, and Gordon STEAM Camp at East Veterans.  

Ipswich Walk-Up Locations 

  • Ipswich Community Food Pantry at 00 Southern Heights in Ipswich from July 1-Aug. 27. Meals available Wednesday-Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Three Sisters Garden Project at 2 Washington St. In Ipswich from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Friday from 12 to 1 p.m. 

Enrolled location: Winthrop Elementary School.  

Rockport Walk-Up Location 

  • Rockport Public Library at 17 School St. In Rockport from June 22-Aug. 28. Meals Available Monday-Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The full schedule is also available at FOODPANTRY.org and will continue to be updated through the summer.  

For the second year in a row, Summer Meals for Kids is being entirely funded by The Open Door. Previously, the program received federal funding. Today, it continues thanks to donations and sponsors of The Open Door. 

About The Open Door  

The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security. 

Founded in 1978, The Open Door is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit and community food resource center for low-income residents of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, Ipswich, Hamilton, Boxford, Rowley, Topsfield, Wenham, and Georgetown. In 2025, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 12,780 people from 5,718 households through the distribution of 2.48 million pounds of food over 136,851 visits. 

For more information, visit FOODPANTRY.org.