15 GRANTMAKING Social services with compassion People carrying shopping bags line up early at the base- ment door of 11 Inman Street four days a week, here for a box of free groceries to feed their families. For some, the food pantry at the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC) is the difference between having a meal and going to bed hungry. Volunteer Fernende Desir is very aware of the difference the small agency is making in the community every day. The CEOC is a one-stop shop for Cambridge residents seeking federal and local social service programs. It’s an organization that champions social equity and attracts passionate advocates to its ranks, including volunteers like Fernende and leaders like Elaine DeRosa, the former executive director, and her replacement, Tina Alu. For more than 50 years, the agency has provided the com- munity’s most vulnerable residents with services, including tax preparation, educational programs, accessing health insurance and food stamps, as well as those groceries. “Oh my God, they are a blessing,” says Fernende. “There are good people here with good hearts. They understand people’s problems, and they help.” The agency serves about 5,200 families a year. Their needs change every day, and the staff has learned to be creative about addressing challenges. One client needed a deposit to secure an apartment and realized her tax return could cover the cost. “I said ‘We can sit with you and help you do that,’” says Tina Alu, CEOC executive director. “We are a compre- hensive program helping people look at all their needs.” The Cambridge Community Foundation has helped sup- port the CEOC for more than a decade with grants. This year, the Foundation also gave CEOC a special grant to honor four Foundation board members who had recently stepped down. CAMBRIDGE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE (CEOC) Volunteer Fernende Desir is very aware of the difference the small agency is making in the community every day as she prepares each food parcel with bread, fruits and vegetables, canned goods, and maybe a carton of eggs or a pack of hot dogs. Photo by Jeffrey Blackwell If it weren’t for the Yellow Pages, a ride from a friend, and some good luck, Elaine DeRosa may not have spent nearly four decades changing lives at CEOC. She arrived there as a volunteer in 1971 at CCF’s recommendation. And this year, after more than 40 years at its helm, she left the agency where she did her life’s most ambitious work. “We can go through the list of initiatives we championed or co-led with others, but it’s the voice of the people we represent, normally disenfranchised, their voice being heard, that is what makes the difference, the action,” Elaine says. “You come to us, it’s the whole package. I say proudly and with real pride, we make a difference.” Read more about Elaine on CCF’s website. CIVIC LEADERSHIP Elaine DeRosa Elaine DeRosa Photo by Jeffrey Blackwell Social Equity