Stories

Participants at the gathering in Worcester shared a light breakfast before the first activity The LEAF team has been attending so many engaging and informative events these past few months and we’d like to share our takeaways with you! This…

A customer reaches for avocados inside Mello’s Supermarket in Lawrence Last month, NBC Boston did a report about how where you live can have a huge impact on your health. For example, food deserts in low-income areas can contribute to…

Paulette Ngachoko, Owner of Hapi African Gourmet, pouring Hapi’s signature creamy peanut sauce Last year, LEAF approved a loan to help Hapi Gourmet, a small business in Boston, finance the development of its African creamy peanut sauce product line. By…

Friends and supporters of the soon-to-open Filipino restaurant, Tanám, gather for a New Year’s Party In the mood for Filipino food? Well you’re in luck because Ellie Tiglao’s popular Filipino pop-up restaurant, Tanám, will be permanently open for business at…

LEAF has approved a loan to Cooperative Energy, Recycling, and Organics (CERO), to help continue their award-winning commercial composting service. Founded in 2012, CERO is a worker-owned cooperative located in Dorchester. The team is made up of dedicated, bilingual worker-owners…

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced $5 million in awards for its PRIME grant program, which funds training and technical assistance for disadvantaged micro-entrepreneurs. LEAF is very excited to announce that we were selected as one of the…

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts recently announced that LEAF, in partnership with The Franklin County CDC, would be the lead CDFI administrator of the Massachusetts Food Trust Program (MFTP), a healthy food fund that has been seeded with $1 million from…

LEAF, together with Shared Capital, approved a loan to Cooperative Care (CC) to finance the diversification of CC’s service offerings. CC is the third largest home care cooperative in the United States and currently has 38 employees — 30 of…

SWGMC sponsors farm open days and events several times a year to help customers connect with farmers and see how the flowers are grown. LEAF, partnering with Shared Capital, recently approved a loan to Seattle Wholesale Growers Market Cooperative (SWGMC),…

Congratulations to Democracy Brewing (DB) on their Independence Day Grand Opening (July 4, 2018)! It’s been less than a year since LEAF approved a loan to finance the build out of DB’s combined brewery and pub (“brewpub”) in the heart…

LEAF has approved a loan to City Center Market (CCM), to finance the renovation of their food co-op. Established almost 40 years ago in Cambridge, Minnesota, CCM moved to their current store in 2007, a region of the city classified…

LEAF has made a loan to Apple Street Market Cooperative for the development of their full-service grocery store in north-central Cincinnati’s diverse neighborhood of Northside. Apple Street Market will be fulfilling a much-needed gap for healthy and accessible food. The…