The Elizabeth Peabody House Association

10/06/2026

A Partnership in Possibility:

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, volunteers from Payette partnered with Elizabeth Peabody House to begin exploring the future possibilities of our former sanctuary space.

Following site visits and a day of pre-design work, the team helped us consider how this distinctive second-floor space might evolve to support gathering, learning, meetings, creativity, and community connection.

Their work resulted in two remarkable tools: a booklet documenting the design-planning process and a scale 3D model that makes the ideas tangible.

The model presents EPH’s current second-floor layout alongside two concepts for an expanded mezzanine—one with a bridge-like connection and meeting spaces, and another with a more distinctive curved addition along one side of the room.

These are not final plans; they are thoughtful starting points for future community conversations about what this space could become.

A special thank-you to Neha Garg and Dante Gil Rivas (pictured below), who delivered the completed model to EPH on September 18, and to the entire Payette team for sharing their time, imagination, and expertise with our community.

We are also grateful to our friend Amber Penman of Payette for helping connect EPH and her colleagues around this opportunity.

These spaces are full of history, traditions, and stories—shared and reshared across generations. At the same time, they hold a world of curiosity, creativity, and possibility.

We are grateful for partners who help us see that world of possibility more clearly.

10/02/2026

Community works best when people come together!

On August 4, we joined families, local organizations, City departments, and public safety partners at National Night Out. Our very own Baby Shark even made an appearance!

On September 10, we returned to City Hall for the City of Somerville's Civic Day, where residents could connect with local services and resources and participate in civic life.

These gatherings gave us opportunities to share information about our early education, youth, and food-access programs; answer questions; listen; and build relationships with the community we serve.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our table to say hello, learn more about EPH, or share an idea. We are proud to be part of a community that comes together to support children, families, and one another.

09/30/2026

FOCUS is Tufts University’s pre-orientation service program, connecting incoming students with local organizations and giving them an opportunity to begin their Tufts journey with hands-on community engagement.

At the end of August, 32 Tufts University FOCUS volunteers joined Elizabeth Peabody House over two days to help us reset our spaces following major construction. They cleaned the kitchen that houses our food pantry, reinstalled our library, relocated our program equipment, toys, and supplies, and cleared up our playground.

This was a significant reset after construction, and left our spaces ready to welcome our early learners, elementary, and middle school students, and SFLC Playgroups back this September.

Thank you to every Tufts FOCUS volunteer—and to Tufts—for bringing such energy, care, and generosity to our community.

09/28/2026

School is Back in Session @ EPH!

The classrooms and learning spaces are busy again—with curious questions, busy hands, new and familiar friendships, stories, art, movement, and plenty of laughter.

From our Toddler and Preschool classrooms to Afterschool, it has been wonderful to welcome children back to Elizabeth Peabody House and see the year begin to take shape.

Here is a little glimpse of the learning, play, and joy already filling our days. We are so glad to have everyone back!

09/28/2026

This summer, Elizabeth Peabody House completed major preservation and infrastructure work at our historic home at 277 Broadway, including siding restoration and structural reinforcement in our second-floor former sanctuary space.

This work is part of a long-term strategy to stabilize, preserve, and improve EPH’s historic facility for the use and benefit of he community.

Since 2019, EPH and its partners have invested nearly $2 million in critical building improvements to ensure our home remains safe, welcoming, and dependable for the children, families, and community members we serve.

The projects were made possible through a remarkable public investment: $592,000 in Community Preservation Act funding—$420,000 for structural reinforcement and $172,000 for siding replacement—recommended by the Somerville Community Preservation Committee and approved by the City of Somerville. We are grateful to Christine Barber for State Senate for securing $100,000 in state funding that helped make this work possible.

We extend heartfelt thanks to the many community members, families, partners, and supporters who submitted letters and comments, helping make the case for this investment. The Somerville Historic Preservation Commission provided valuable guidance throughout the work.

We extend our sincere thanks to our design and construction team— PAF Architects, TLH Consulting, Inc., and ZVI Construction, LLC.—for their expertise and care.

We are equally grateful to Somerville Public Schools for providing temporary space at the John F. Kennedy School, allowing our preschool and summer enrichment programs to continue while construction was underway.

Historic preservation is not only about honoring the past. It is about sustaining the places that hold a community’s relationships, resources, and possibilities for the future.

09/25/2026

In Somerville, where 35% of residents experience food insecurity, practical acts of generosity matter.

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Somerville—and to everyone who donated during its August 29 food drive at Star Market in Porter Square.

Somerville Rotary collected enough food, diapers, and personal-hygiene products to fill 30 banana boxes for four local organizations.

Elizabeth Peabody House received 319 pounds of food and personal-hygiene products, which were distributed in September to local households through our Food Access program.

For households facing high food and household costs, these essentials help stretch limited budgets and meet basic needs with dignity.

We are grateful for this generous act of community care.

09/24/2026

Help Elizabeth Peabody House earn a $1,200 community grant from Winter Hill Bank!

As part of its 120th Anniversary Community Giving Poll, Winter Hill Bank will award three $1,200 donations to participating local nonprofits.

Please take a moment to vote for EPH and help us continue creating opportunities for children, families, and neighbors across Somerville.

Vote Here: https://form.jotform.com/262393787915170

Please click the link to complete this form.

09/22/2026

Last week, a power outage at Elizabeth Peabody House put our cold storage and community fridge at risk.

What happened next was a powerful reminder of Somerville’s food-access network in action.

Within an hour, Somerville Community Fridge volunteers helped redirect about 800 pounds of food and 60 cartons of eggs—keeping it in the community rather than letting it go to waste. The next day, Project SOUP helped us replenish our supply with approximately 760 pounds of fresh produce just in time for Sunday distribution.

This is what a strong local food-access system looks like: neighbors and partners responding quickly, protecting food, and ensuring that the 120 households who rely on EPH’s Sunday distribution could still receive fresh groceries.

We are grateful for every partner who makes this work possible. Food matters—and so do the people, storage, transportation, and coordination that make dependable access possible.

Read the full story on our website: https://www.teph.org/an-open-letter-to-our-neighbors/?blm_aid=0

Somerville Office of Food Access and Healthy Communities

08/12/2026

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Elizabeth Peabody House (EPH) alumnus Salvatore “Sal” Ingeme on April 19, 2026. Sal grew up in Boston’s West End where he was enrolled in the EPH kindergarten program. In addition to kindergarten, Sal participated in plays, social events, and Camp Gannett, an overnight camp in Sharon, MA. Sal graduated from the High School of Commerce and attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. He proudly served in the United States Army before beginning his career with Columbia Records.

Sal is survived by his beloved wife, Katherine “Kit” Ingeme; his sister, Marie Walsh; his daughter, Carla Ingeme; and his many beloved and dear family and friends. Sal’s family established the “Sal Ingeme Memorial Fund” as a way to honor the cherished memories and lifelong friendships he made at EPH.

Make a gift in Sal's honor - https://elizabethpeabodyhouse-bloom.kindful.com/?campaign=1418870

From Sal's wife, Kit:

"Thank you for making a gift to the Elizabeth Peabody House (EPH) to honor Sal’s life. Your donation provides children and families with opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive – something that meant a great deal to Sal.

Sal attended Camp Gannett every summer from age 7 to 16. His experiences there were life-changing and remained close to his heart. I had the pleasure of attending camp reunions with Sal. There I saw firsthand the lasting friendships and special memories he created at EPH.

As Sal often said, “I don’t wait for life to bring me joy – I bring my joy to life.” That spirit carried him through life. Thank you for helping us honor Sal’s memory in such a meaningful way.

With love and gratitude,
Kit Ingeme"

We are honored and humbled by Kit’s decision to support our organization in honor of Sal’s legacy. We never know what the future holds for students when they move on from our programs. Moments like this, when alumni or their families return to say “hello,” volunteer, apply for a job, or share a story are when we see our mission in action. At its heart, everything we do is about helping children and families thrive.

With gratitude,
Matthew Caughey
Chief Executive Officer
Elizabeth Peabody House

P.S. Donors may also send checks to:
Elizabeth Peabody House
Attn: Development Team
275 Broadway
Somerville, MA 02145

Or text "HonorSal" to (617) 500-1101

08/10/2026

An exciting chorus of learning is the key to our Preschool Program! 🎼🎒 A big thanks to Rainbow Jeff for playing and teaching us about the guitar! 🎸

Our Preschool Program encourages children to learn, explore, and develop their interests at their own tempos. 🎶 Educators and families work in harmony to meet each child’s needs, honor their backgrounds, and reach their goals.

Contact us to see if our program is the right fit for your child to nurture their growth!

🕒 Hours:
Mon to Fri · 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM

📍 277 Broadway, Somerville, MA

📞 Melanie Asaro: [email protected] · (617) 623-5510 x106

👉 Click here to learn more: https://www.teph.org/preschool/

🌈