Eastern Bank Deposits Resources for Help Fund
In order to mitigate the short and long-term effects that come with the intersectionality of poverty, health, and child development, COMPASS established the Help Fund. This fund assists families with emergency assistance with groceries, clothing, housing, and education for youth. Families that are experiencing a dire situation where they need help with accessing basic needs can apply for small grants through the Help Fund. In 2017, 31 requests for grants were approved, totaling over $7,000. As of August 2018, the requests for funding have more than doubled compared to August 2017.
With the increase in requests from families, especially when gearing up for the beginning of the school year, many families began requesting assistance with purchasing school supplies for their children. Their resources could not stretch far enough to cover their family’s basic and academic needs.
To expand its capacity to assist more families in financial crises, COMPASS engaged with a long-term partner, Eastern Bank’s Charitable Foundation, to apply for a grant to bolster the Help Fund. This partnership started with former Board Chair, John Marston, an employee of Eastern Bank.
In early August, COMPASS was awarded a $2,500 grant from Eastern Bank to apply to its Help Fund to increase the ability to assist families in need. This grant funding couldn’t have come at a better time; COMPASS had received over 75 requests for backpacks and school supplies from families working with the Comprehensive Support and Stabilization (CSS) team. The generous funding from Eastern Bank allowed COMPASS to fulfill all of the requests for backpacks and school supplies (pictured above).
COMPASS wants to thank Eastern Bank for its generosity and its commitment to providing over 10% of its profits to local, nonprofit organizations and their missions.