Making a Difference: Legacy Fund Grants
2021 Grant Awardees
MEDFIELD OUTREACH
Medfield Outreach, a municipal department of the Town of Medfield serving the social, emotional, and financial needs of Medfield residents. received a $12,000 grant from the Legacy Fund. This grant will be used to engage a consultant to conduct a community needs assessment and subsequent strategic plan for the department. The assessment will consist of collecting quantitative data about the trends and needs in Medfield through various methodologies. This data will inform the creation of a strategic plan focused on addressing these needs as well as shape goals concerning emerging trends with staffing, service delivery, partnering and governance. The goal of this grant is improve the services offered by Medfield Outreach to the entire Medfield community.
Learn more at https://www.town.medfield.net/403/Medfield-Outreach
PEAK HOUSE HERITAGE CENTER
Peak House Heritage Center, the “Ancient House” in Medfield, received a $8,000 grant from the Legacy Fund to conduct an archeological survey in support of new exhibits. Peak House is one of the earliest surviving examples of Elizabethan architecture and is the only free-standing structure of its kind in the United States. Its exceptionally high pitched roof is the highest on record in Massachusetts. Research, excavation, subsurface testing and laboratory analysis will be employed to curate a selection of objects for display when Peak House Heritage Center opens to the public in May 2022.
Learn more at https://peakhouseheritagecenter.org/.
SUSTAINABLE MEDFIELD
Sustainable Medfield, a online network of residents and local groups sharing information and collaborating in order to inspire actions to improve our environment, received a $5,000 grant from the Legacy Fund. This grant will be used to create and implement a comprehensive marketing strategy incorporating direct mail and paid social media, to engage and collaborate with networking partners, to develop educational programming and outreach ideas, and to support operating expenses including website and other administrative expenses. The goal of this grant is to reach, educate and support residents through the Sustainable Medfield portal to make changes that will make Medfield a more sustainable community.
Learn more at https://sustainablemedfield.org/.
FRIENDS OF MHS THEATRE SOCIETY
The Friends of MHS Theatre Society received a $3,200 grant from the Legacy Fund. The Friends of MHS Theatre Society is a group which strives to fill the financial gap between public funding for theater at MHS and the true cost. The Friends of MHS Theatre Society is also aiming to bring performing arts back to pre-pandemic levels of funding and engagement, both for students at MHS and within the community of Medfield. This grant will be used to purchase new Cyclorama Drop for the MHS stage. This will enable the MHS theater program to continue to produce the high level of performances in which students, staff, and administrators take pride and the community enjoys
Learn more at https://medfielddrama.weebly.com/friends-of-mhs-theatre.html
Past Grant Awardees
FRIENDS OF THE MEDFIELD RAIL TRAIL
The Rail Trail was a recipient of a $5,000 grant from the Legacy Fund. In addition, Rail Trail committee member, Christian Donner, reports that the Rail Trail secured an additional grant of $100,000 from the Department of Conservation and Recreation to help create the Medfield Rail Trail. In June, 2021, the MBTA and the Town signed the agreement to lease the Medfield segment of the abandoned railroad track and construction of the rail trail can now begin!
Learn more at https://medfield.baycolonyrailtrail.org/.
MEDFIELD CARES ABOUT PREVENTION
Medfield Cares About Prevention (MCAP) received a $5,000 grant from the Legacy Fund. MCAP is committed to grow a culture of safety and health for the community’s youth, and utilized these funds to secure a professional grant writer to assist in their pursuit of federal “DrugFree Communities” funding. The application was successful and as a direct result MCAP secured $625,000 in federal funding to be used for youth initiatives in Medfield over a five-year period.
Learn more at https://medfieldcares.org/wp/.
THE CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF MEDFIELD
The Cultural Alliance of Medfield (CAM) received a $10,000 grant from the Legacy Fund. Under the guidance of Jean Mineo, CAM has secured the rights to develop an Arts Center at the former Medfield State Hospital and entered into a 99-year lease with the Town of Medfield for the use of the former Chapel and Infirmary buildings. CAM is raising private funds for this effort and ultimately envisions a Performing Arts and Education Center featuring indoor and outdoor performance venues, rehearsal space and classrooms, and open space for community activities. CAM leveraged its Legacy Fund grant to raise additional monies to further architectural and design work.
Learn more at https://medfieldculture.org/.
Get Involved – Join the Legacy Fund Committee
Would you like to help raise funds to benefit the Medfield community? The Legacy Fund Committee of the Medfield Foundation is always looking for individuals interested in getting involved to help make a difference.
Whether you can offer an hour or two or you’d like to formally join the Committee, we need your help. For more information on getting involved, please contact Todd Trehubenko or Chris Cahill, at legacyfund@medfieldfoundation.org, and we will get in touch with you.