A Special Message from Board Member Tim Ford
I have a lifelong connection to East End House. I was born and raised next door to the building. From the time I was a young kid attending after-school programs, to later working as a camp counselor, teaching woodworking, launching the Thanksgiving food drive, and eventually becoming a karate instructor, I’ve practically lived in that building. I’ve now been teaching karate there since 1979 and continue to hold classes twice a week. Recently, I had the honor of joining the Board of Directors, something I take very seriously because this place quite literally saved my life.
I’ve seen firsthand what East End House does for people. It gives kids a safe place to grow. It gives families a support system they might not have anywhere else. It keeps people like me on a good path and helps us stay there. I’ve seen students come through my classes who turned their lives around. I’ve seen children come back as adults to give back. East End House creates ripples of good in this community that stretch across decades.
But right now, East End House is at a crossroads. The building is old, space is tight, and the demand for services is higher than ever. Most of its youth programs have long waitlists, and its existing facility simply can’t keep up. A new, modern, and expanded home for East End House is essential—not someday, but now.
The Cambridge real estate market makes it difficult for any non-profit to afford to the space it needs. But a rare possibility has been presented to East End House. BioMed Realty’s proposed development at 320 Charles Street would not only bring positive to the neighborhood but create a critical opportunity to secure a future for East End House, an organization that has been the soul of East Cambridge for generations.
BioMed Realty’s project can make a transformational difference. If this development goes forward, it is absolutely vital that a significant portion of the Community Benefits Dollars stay right here in East Cambridge—the neighborhood most directly impacted by decades of development. No community has borne more of the burden. And no institution is more rooted in this neighborhood, or more deserving of meaningful support, than East End House.
BMR has been a trusted and consistent partner to East End House for more than twenty years— serving on our advisory and governing boards, championing our STEM programming, and supporting our work in too many ways to list. They’ve shown time and again that they care about this community, and I believe this project is a rare chance to build on that partnership in a way that will benefit East Cambridge families for generations to come.
Let me be clear: without significant private support, including from projects like this, East End House may not survive in its current form—or may be forced to leave the neighborhood it’s called home since it was founded in 1875 to support newly arriving immigrants. We cannot let that happen. Not when we have a partner willing to help. Not when the need is so urgent. Not when the heart of our neighborhood is on the line. East End House has given so much to this community. Now it’s time for this community to give something back. I urge you to ensure that this project—and the benefits it brings—help us preserve and expand the impact of East End House for the next generation and beyond.