Community Cooks

Community Cooks is Somerville-based a nonprofit organization that mobilizes individuals, businesses, civic, educational, and faith-based groups to provide home prepared food for vulnerable neighbors. We do this by partnering with shelters, after school programs, and other human service agencies that provide support for those struggling with food insecurity. By providing home cooked meals to these agencies, we free up their time to focus on their advocacy and service models as well as ensure that those that they are helping receive the nutrition they need to meet their daily challenges. During non-COVID times, we rally over 1,000 volunteers and provide 5,000+ monthly meals to 41 partner agencies in the Greater Boston area. After pivoting during the pandemic to partner with a woman-owned café business so we could continue to fulfill our mission without skipping a beat, we are now gradually phasing our volunteer teams back in, resuming our core model of service.

Community Cooks was founded as an all-volunteer organization 31 years ago. In 2012, we transitioned to a 501(c)(3) and now have a paid staff of four, an engaged Board of Directors, and a budget of over $400,000 annually.