COVID-19 RESPONSE

Watertown Community Foundation created the Community Resilience Fund in March 2020, to address the most immediate needs of our neighbors who have been directly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. We are here to help.

Responding to urgent community-wide needs

The Community Resilience Fund (CRF) is a restricted fund at Watertown Community Foundation. It will be used to respond to urgent, community-wide needs or significant unexpected financial challenges from closures of core community institutions. The Community Resilience Fund enables WCF to rapidly make grants, with minimal application requirements, when the critical need is financial. WCF will rely on community partners to identify, and enable us to respond rapidly to, immediate needs. The Community Resilience Fund will be managed with other WCF funds to be readily available. Donors can designate contributions to the Community Resilience Fund knowing that urgent needs of the community will be met.

Watertown knows how to come together during difficult challenges. We showed grit, strength, and compassion in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings uniting our community and showing that we are Watertown Strong. Watertown Helps Out (WHO), our town wide day of service, was created as a result of our strength and resolve. During the financial crisis of 2008 it became clear that our community needed extra social services to assist families with resources to help them through financial difficulties. WCF, along with other organizations, helped create and fund a fulltime Social Services Resource Specialist.

With the COVID-19 pandemic it became clear very quickly that WCF needed to act. From its inception the Community Resilience Fund (CRF) was designed for rapid response. Through our front-line community partners we identify immediate needs and deploy funds. We're already experiencing a surge in requests for assistance as members of our community grapple with COVID-related challenges.

Need Help? Offering Help?

If you need assistance, please reach out to Sophia_Suarez-Friedman@waysideyouth.org And visit our Mutual Aid Network.

You Can Help!

We remain committed to serving the needs of our community in these unprecedented times, and we hope you will join us if you can. With an initial commitment from WCF and our board and staff of $40,000, the fund has reached well over $100,000 and deployment of funds has been ongoing. Thank you for helping to build a supportive, caring community that we all can count on in uncertain times.

Thank you!

We are grateful to the following who have made donations in support of WCF’s Community Relief Fund and Online Donations to the Watertown Food Pantry.

Adam Brewster

Albrik Avanessian

Alex Gottlieb

Allison Eck

Allyson Schumacher

Andre Compagna

Andrea Schuler

Andreas Aeppli

Andrew Pramberger

Ann Bellefontaine

Ann Cox

Ann and William Forbush

Ann Walters

Anna Heller

Anne Hammett

Anonymous #13

Anonymous #14

Anthony and Kelly Donato

Arlene Smith

Arranta Bio

Barbara Epstein

Barbara and Jeremy Ruskin

Becca Salmaso

Beth Barrett

Beth Houston

Bevin Croft

Bob Airasian

Bob and Missy Shay

Brian McDonald

Bright Funds

Carole-Jean Smith

Caroline Bays

Cass Sapir

Charlie Breitrose

Chloe Green

Christine Parker

Christine Madigan

Christopher Leitz

Chuck Dickinson

Clarence Butler

Colleen Treacy

Constance Holmes

Cornelia Janke

Cynthia Col

Cynthia Grzelcyk

Cynthia Wentz

Darshna Varia

David Fram

David Siegel and Erika Geeter

Debra Kodiak

Diane Pellagrini

Dolores Mitchell

Donna and Ric Calleja

Dylan Marshall

Edward Nardi

Eileen Hsu-Balzer

Eileen McCluskey

Elaina Themistos

Eleanor Donato

Ellen Isenstein

Ellen Rothman

Ellen Wineberg

Emily Barclay and John Hawes

Enanta Pharmaceuticals

Eric Maillis

Erin Morgan

Eversource Energy Foundation

Ferreira Family

FM Global

Francesca Simon-Carboni

Gail Franck

George Snowdon

Harry Stoddard

Harvey Steiner

Heather Leary

Helen and Joseph Soussou

Hsiaolin Chang-**

Ilana Mainelli

Jane and Josephine Faccenda

Janet Buck

Janet Jameson

Janice Craige Singer and Stephen Singer

Jason Dunklee

Jeffrey Follett

Jenna Willis

Jennifer Davis

Jennifer Smith

Jeri Bayer

Jessica Middlebrook

Joan Blaustein

Joan and Leo Martin

Joan Oustifine

Joan Stoddard

Joanne Hammil

Joanne Shapiro

JoAnne Yates

Jocelyn Tager

John Foote

John Gannon

John Portz

Jonathan Bockian and Sharon Teitelbaum

Josephine White

Judith Fallows

Judith Katz and Dean Solomon

Judy Kaplan

Julie Candiello

Julie White

Katelyn Boller

Katherine Button

Katherine Kopp

Katherine Klosowski

Katie White

Kendall Palmer Watts

Kendra Eshleman

Kerry Biddy

Kristin Engdahl

Kristin Rosner

Larry Raskin

Laura Pabo

Lauren Unsworth

Laurie Garden

Laurie O'Reilly

Lee-Anne Famolare

Leonta Longman

Leslie Horst

Linda Cocca

Linda Corinne

Linda Sultan

Linnie Chang

Lisa Port White

Lora Sabin and Jonathan Hecht

Marcus Williams

Margaret Nairn Wesel

Marguerita Beiser

Maria Ruggiero and Eileen Michaels

Marian Friedman

Marian Grogan

Marjorie Wayne

Mark Hernandez

Mark Ottensmeyer

Mark Peterson

Mark Wagner and Melina Jacovides

Marta Flores

Mary Ann Mulligan

Matthew Boxer

Meghan O'Connell

Melissa Maslin

Merryl Gross

Michael Schade

Michael Ward

Michelle Casey

Mike Mandel and Chantal Zakari

Nancy Ballantyne

Nathan and Joanna Weston

Nicole Ledoux

Norah Mulvaney-Day

Nyssa Patten

Pamela Simos

Paula Mazza, Sis Realty

Peter Robertson

Richard and Katherine Diamond

Robert and Myrna Siegel

Roche Brothers

Sanofi

Sarah Jacqz

Sarah Wharton

Sasaki Associates, Inc.

Shawna Searles

Stephanie Venizelos

Stephen MacLellan

Stephen Meuse

Steve Owens

Sue C Hanfling

Susan Baldwin

Susan Fish

Sydney Mason-Barrett

Tara Mahoney

Thomas Berryman and Joan Ellersick

Thomas Goodwillie

Tiffany Bertolozzi

Tod and Jacqui Gross

Todd Rivers

Tony and Maureen Paolillo

Trip Advisor

Tufts Foundation

Vanguard

Watertown Fire Fighters

Watertown Savings Bank

Wendy Gulley

William and Genevieve Salemi

World in Watertown

Wrobel Family

Online Donations to the Watertown Food Pantry

Alan Fortunate 

Amy Bell 

Andrea Schuler 

Anthony Donato 

BC Lyon 

Bevin Croft 

Carol Tierney 

Clarence Butler 

Colleen Treacy 

Eileen McCluskey 

Elisabeth Shaw 

Elizabeth Yong 

Elodia Thomas 

FM Global Foundation

Gail Walker 

Heather Leary 

Holly Johnson 

Ilana Mainelli 

Joan and Leo Martin 

Joan Stoddard 

Katharine Shapleigh 

Katherine Klosowski

Katherine F Kopp 

Kendra Eshleman 

Kristin Engdahl 

Laurie O'Reilly 

Lisa Hum 

Lisa Port White 

Lynn Bratley 

Lynn Walder 

Mark Ottensmeyer 

Michael Corcoran 

Nicholas Zinser 

Pam Phillips 

Patricia Rathbone 

Robert Finn 

Sarah Scala 

Tara Mahoney 

Thomas Thuene 

Tiffany Bertolozzi 

William Lukesh 

 

Updates

April 30, 2020

For Immediate Release 

 

WATERTOWN’S MUTUAL AID NETWORK UP AND RUNNING—NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS AS COMMUNITY RESILIENCE FUND DONATIONS GROW

April 30, 2020 (Watertown, MA) –  

 

The Watertown Community Foundation’s (WCF) Community Resilience Fund, created to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 emergency and similar crises, has teamed with Wayside Youth and Family Services to fund a new part time Community Coordinator.  Sophia Suarez-Friedman, a Master of Social Work candidate at Boston College, has been a clinical intern with Wayside for the past year.  She will add the duties of coordinator as she completes her clinical work.

 

In a few short weeks, Sophia has created Watertown’s Mutual Aid Network  that is currently already connecting individuals in need with resources and volunteers who can help. Aid includes providing cleaning and safety supplies, personal care items, clothing, food and delivery, translation services, social support, care packages, transportation, housing, storage, childcare, activities for kids, dog walking, tutoring, and technology support.

 

Thus far twenty community members have signed up with needs and with more than forty have signed up to help. If you know a neighbor in need please let them know that there are people ready to help. 

 

In addition to the Mutual Aid Network, through our grant partnership with Friends of Project Literacy, WCF has been able to take in a donation of 45 laptops to distribute to ELL adults. All language classes have gone online but many adults had no way of connecting. We've been able to clean the machines, purchase chargers, and distribute the laptops through Friends of Project Literacy.

 

We were also able to purchase 50 N95 masks to donate to frontline health care workers in Watertown.

 

Through years of partnering with programs and organizations, we are able to deploy resources quickly and efficiently to those in need. We remain committed to serving the needs of our community in these unprecedented times, and we hope you will join us if you can.

 

Donations may be made:

By check:

Watertown Community Foundation-

Community Resilience Fund

P.O. Box 334

Watertown, MA 02471

 

Online at

www.watertownfoundation.org

For instructions on donating appreciated securities, or other questions you may have,
please contact Jan Singer at jan.singer@watertownfoundation.org.  

 

WATERTOWN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S COMMUNITY RESILIENCE FUND GROWS TO OVER 60K-ANNOUNCES FIRST DISTRIBUTIONS.

April 7, 2020 (Watertown, MA) –  

 

The Watertown Community Foundation’s Community Resilience Fund was created to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 emergency and similar crises. The initial response from the community has been outstanding.  Nearly one hundred individuals, businesses, and foundations have stepped up with generous donations that have helped the fund grow to over $60,000 in just a few weeks.

 

From its inception the Community Resilience Fund (CRF) was designed for rapid response.  Through our front-line community partners we have identified immediate needs and have deployed the first of the funds.

 

In this time of crisis access to food is critical.  After a two week closing, the Catholic Coalition Food Pantry, located at St. Vincent’s Parish at 770 Mt. Auburn St., has reopened to the public on Thursdays from 10 AM-11:45 AM.  Watertown Community Foundation is pleased to announce the CRF has made a major donation to the pantry that primarily serves the east end of town.

 

When families are forced to choose between food and rent, the need is immediate.  Through the Social Services Resource Specialist at Wayside, Jenna Willis, LCSW, we are providing funds for grocery store gift cards.  As the resource needs quickly grow, we will increase the capacity of the SSRS with additional support.  CRF money will fund a part time coordinator to assist Jenna as she creates an online hub to match those in need with the appropriate resources including community volunteers.

We remain committed to serving the needs of our community in these unprecedented times, and we hope you will join us if you can.

 

Donations may be made:

By check:

Watertown Community Foundation-

Community Resilience Fund

P.O. Box 334

Watertown, MA 02471

 

Online at

www.watertownfoundation.org

For instructions on donating appreciated securities, or other questions you may have,
please contact Jan Singer at jan.singer@watertownfoundation.org.