Wayland Community Fund Announces Successful Year

The generosity of Wayland residents means the Wayland Community Fund now has funding that should last at least through the end of the calendar year.

The Wayland Community Fund began in 1997 as a means "to provide short-term, emergency financial assistance to Wayland residents," according to the website.

But in November 2011, the due to the higher costs of food, utilities and other expenses. In an unprecedented move, WCF Director Mike Patterson and a team of five volunteers that run the fund sent requests for donations to more than 5,000 Wayland households.

The response was impressive, Patterson said, and means that the fund could not only meet the needs last winter, but should be funded through the end of the calendar year as a result.

“You never know who is going to contribute,” Patterson said. “When the chips are down, Wayland residents did come through.”

Patterson explained that the WCF is able to withdraw about $22,000 each fiscal year from its endowment. Any funds needed beyond that must be raised through donations.

That means as long as there are needs, there will be a need for donations, Patterson said.

As people come forward with a need, the WCF assesses the need and financial records before determining how best to offer assistance. The fund does not  distribute cash, but rather pays bills directly or offers gift cards to local grocery stores if the need is food.

Donations that are given to the fund go into a checking account, not a fund, so they are quickly re-distributed back into the community. Since its creation in December 1997, the WCF has distributed more than $360,000 to residents in need.

Anyone with a need is encouraged to call the WCF hotline at 508-358-3624.

Anyone wishing to offer a tax deductible donation can send a check to:

The Wayland Community Fund
c/oThe Treasurer/Collector’s Office
Wayland Town Building
41 Cochituate Road
Wayland, MA 01778