People Helping People Awarded $120,000 Cummings Grant

People Helping People, Inc. is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The Burlington-based organization was selected from a total of 715 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive a total of $120,000 over three years.



People Helping People, Inc. (PHP) is a Burlington based organization focused on helping eligible residents of Burlington meet their basic needs. This is done through sustained community-wide efforts focused on providing:

• Hunger Relief – Our Food Pantry allows registered clients to shop for food items each week. A full complement of perishable (e.g., meat, dairy, breads, produce, prepared meals) and non-perishable items (e.g., canned goods, pasta, cereal/oatmeal, rice, juices) are available. We provide delivery services to those clients (approximately 40 households) who are unable to come to the Pantry to shop.
• Emergency Financial Aid – Through our Covenant for Basic Needs program, eligible families may receive monetary donations to assist individuals and families who are in crisis (e.g., loss of housing, fire victims, lack of funds for fuel or medical needs).
• Holiday Support – Our InGathering program provides needed families with all the ingredients for making a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The Wish Tree program provides clients with young children up to 6 gifts per child for the Christmas holiday. Each child is provided basics such as underwear, socks, gloves, and sleepwear, as well as 3 “Wishes” of their choice.

Founded approximately 40 years ago by local congregations when a homeless family appeared on the church steps, PHP has been a welcoming refuge to those in need ever since.

“This grant will be a tremendous help to PHP, allowing us to continue providing our Burlington neighbors with much needed help, whether it’s providing food, or paying a utility bill, or helping to make a child’s holiday more enjoyable.” states Jim Sheridan, Executive Director of PHP.

The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, plus six communities in Norfolk County: Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.

Cummings Foundation has now awarded $500 million to greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s 150 grant winners, plus nearly 2,000 previous recipients, is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.