KINGSTON, QUINCY, BROCKTON, NEW BEDFORD AND BOSTON, MA: NeighborWorks^® Housing Solutions (NHS; www.nhsmass.org), the leading housing service provider in southeastern Massachusetts, announced today that it has received a donation of $50,000 from Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation in support of the organization’s COVID relief efforts.

During the early days and weeks of the pandemic, Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation began to lend its support as quickly as possible, and it has steadily increased throughout 2020 the amount of unsolicited grants to nonprofit organizations. In total, $11 million in COVID-19 relief grants has been provided to hundreds of local and regional organizations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island in 2020.

The most recent funding supports organizations focused on housing stability, homelessness, food security, and essential services and utilities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families.

“Housing, homelessness and food insecurity have long been challenges in our local communities that are being made worse by the double impact of the pandemic and approaching winter season,” said Nancy Huntington Stager, President and CEO of Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation. “Thank you to the organizations and people bravely working on the front lines to support our neighbors in need, providing vital assistance during these times. The need for corporate philanthropic support of our nonprofit partners is as great now as it was at the beginning of the pandemic, and we invite those who can to join us in giving their support.”

This grant will provide additional support to NHS in its COVID relief efforts.  NHS has increased its wraparound services throughout the pandemic to vulnerable residents in housing.  NHS has ensured the safety of their residents in group homes by taking extra measures to ensure they have food, cleaning supplies, and any additional supplies needed to keep themselves safe. 

NHS has also expanded its services to be more accessible to all of their clients, in part by organizing regular deliveries of food to some of residents in Quincy, including delivery of fresh produce boxes.  Many of the people NHS traditionally serves are in vulnerable populations and typically rely on mobile food pantries.  Having this food brought to them not only helps support them but also keeps them safe, reducing the risk of exposure to them and to others in the building.   Additionally, many of their residents have children who are now learning remotely, further limiting their access to the school lunch program, and their family’s ability to access additional resources.

NeighborWorks Housing Solutions also announced earlier this year that it has signed the Massachusetts Housing Stability Pledge, and plans to hold on any evictions related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through March 2021.  NHS owns and operates more than 1,000 units of housing throughout southern Massachusetts. 

“Eastern Bank and its Charitable Foundations have really stepped up to help so many nonprofits in the state, and we are grateful to them for helping us with this incredible gift.  The Eastern Charitable Foundation has provided resources to so many well-deserving nonprofits throughout the region, which is needed now more than ever,” said Robert Corley, CEO of NeighborWorks^® Housing Solutions.  “Given the vulnerable populations we serve, this gift will have a tremendous impact, and we are truly grateful for their support and recognition of this need.”