Dedham Savings Community Foundation Supports Needham Community Farm
The Dedham Savings Community Foundation has donated $5,000 to Needham Community Farm. This grant will be used to help fund facility upgrades, including the installation of special fencing to keep animals and pests out of the three-acre primary farming site. This improvement will allow the Farm to increase production yields, resulting in additional produce sales, more public programs education space, and an increase in the amount of food grown for the food donation programs. Hundreds of local families access Needham Community Farm’s fresh produce through the Needham Community Council Food pantry and the free Mobile Market at the Needham Housing Authority site each year. Even more have accessed these programs in 2020 due to the increased needs created by COVID-19.
ABOUT NEEDHAM COMMUNITY FARM
Since 2019, Needham Community Farm has been working to increase access to fresh, quality, and healthy produce for people in Needham who are food insecure by donating their local produce to the Needham Community Council Food Pantry and making it available through their Mobile Market, which travels to Needham Housing Authority neighborhoods. The Farm also promotes education, environmental stewardship, and community building through volunteerism.
ABOUT DEDHAM SAVINGS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
The Dedham Savings Community Foundation is a privately funded foundation created by Dedham Savings in 2000 to provide financial support to charitable organizations that serve disadvantaged populations within the Bank’s community reinvestment area. These communities include Dedham, Needham, Norwood, Sharon, South Boston, Walpole, and Westwood and contiguous areas. Typical requests are received from schools, libraries, family service organizations and non-profit organizations. The Trustees of the Foundation accept grant requests from community organizations and make awards twice per year.