MELROSE — Melrose-based nonprofit The Food Drive is grateful to announce the Melrose Cooperative Bank Foundation as the “Harvest Hero Presenting Sponsor” for their Harvest 2025 Fall Fundraiser to be held at Memorial Hall in Melrose on Saturday, November 8. As the top sponsor for the event, the Foundation will play a key role in presenting the second annual Harvest Hero Award which honors an individual or organization for extraordinary commitment to The Food Drive’s mission of hyperlocal hunger relief. The 2025 honoree will be announced in September.
Founded in 1890, Melrose Cooperative Bank served the community for nearly 130 years forming the Melrose Cooperative Bank Foundation in 2015 to support charitable organizations in their local service area. The bank merged with Cambridge Savings Bank in 2020, but the Foundation’s legacy of giving continues to shine brightly in Melrose and beyond. Recent grant recipients include Follow Your Art Community Studios, Friends of Memorial Hall, the Melrose Farmer’s Market, Melrose Symphony Orchestra, The Bridge: A School-Community Partnership and many more. The Foundation’s unwavering commitment to service is evident in the quote stated on their website: “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” ~ Coretta Scott King.
The Food Drive was formed in 2020 as a direct response to the economic impact of the pandemic, started by one Melrose family rescuing and delivering from one grocery store to one food pantry. In 2021, the organization’s very first foundation sponsor was the Melrose Cooperative Bank Foundation and the Foundation has supported the work of The Food Drive every year since. That investment has resulted in a full-time hunger relief nonprofit distributing free food seven days a week year-round across ten communities, fueled by 150 volunteers. The Melrose Cooperative Bank Foundation’s role as Presenting Sponsor is particularly meaningful since November 2025 marks The Food Drive’s five-year anniversary.
“The Melrose Coop Foundation is thrilled to step in and help The Food Drive again this year” noted Jim Oosterman, a member of the foundation’s board and former VP at Melrose Cooperative Bank. “Our foundation was established to keep the legacy of Melrose Bank alive in our community, by giving money to the charities that our former depositors also supported. We’re glad our foundation continues to be here to fund non-profit organizations like this.” he said. Foundation president Mary Beth Margolis reiterated this sentiment, adding “The Food Drive’s work is important to the entire community, and we’re pleased to be able to provide the financial resources they need.”
Harvest 2025 will feature autumn-themed tasting stations from Melrose food establishments, a jazz club atmosphere featuring a live quartet, relaxed lounge seating, festive champagne cocktails served by local volunteer bartenders and a spirited silent auction and raffle. Proceeds from Harvest are vital in sustaining The Food Drive’s hunger relief and food rescue mission, and sponsorships are still available. Tickets will go on sale on October 1.