WAKEFIELD, MA– Plummer Youth Promise has expanded its operations with a new 1,638-square-foot office suite at 50 Audubon Road, a Cummings Properties-managed building in Wakefield.
Founded in 1855, Plummer Youth Promise provides group home, supported apartment, foster care, skill-building, and detention diversion programs for kids and young adults who are in or at risk of entering the foster care or juvenile justice system. It has four additional locations: two sites in Salem, which provide residential and community-based afterschool services, and sites in Lawrence and Springfield that house foster care and mediation programs.
The Wakefield space will serve as a home base for social workers who are frequently on the road providing services to young adults aged 18-22 living in Plummer’s community apartments as well as a growing number of young people living in group homes that are not operated by Plummer. These personnel previously shared space with the organization’s residential facility, but found that the space had become too small for the number of staff occupying it.
“When we reached out with a space challenge, the response from Cummings Properties was immediate,” said Plummer Youth Promise acting executive director Nicole McLaughlin. “They were helpful in a way that was beyond what we expected, presenting a variety of location options so that we could consider what would be most effective and convenient for our staff and the youth we serve.”
Cummings Properties leasing officer Steve Cusano worked directly with Plummer Youth Promise on the lease.
“Cummings is a mission-driven organization, and we’re always delighted to work with nonprofits like Plummer that are doing such important work in local communities,” said Cusano. “Wakefield’s central location and proximity to the highway made Audubon Road a great fit in this case.”
Like most of the buildings operated by Cummings Properties, 50 Audubon Road is owned by Cummings Foundation, with all rental profits going to charitable causes, according to Cusano. The Foundation has awarded more than $260 million to date to greater Boston charities. Plummer Youth Promise was awarded $100,000 from Cummings Foundation in 2017.
“The support from Cummings Foundation has been pivotal for us and hundreds of other nonprofits,” said McLaughlin. “We feel great about having a business relationship with such a philanthropic organization and knowing that our rent dollars are being reinvested in the local community.”
