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Eastern Bank Foundation Honors Deval Patrick With 2026 Social Justice Award, and Recognizes Nonprofit Just A Start With Inaugural Collaborative Impact Award

BOSTON, MA, September 14, 2026 – Eastern Bank Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Eastern Bank, honored Massachusetts’ 71st Governor, Deval Patrick, with its 2026 Social Justice Award at its annual Celebration of Social Justice. The event also recognized the nonprofit Just A Start with the inaugural Nancy Huntington Stager Collaborative Impact Award, in recognition of a collaborative, integrated model they and their partners have created to advance economic and social change through housing, workforce development, and two-generation supports. Hundreds of business, philanthropic and community leaders gathered to honor these outstanding leaders and their contributions.

“Each year, the Celebration of Social Justice is an opportunity to recognize the people and organizations whose courage and persistence make our communities more just and inclusive,” said Bob Rivers, Executive Chair and Chair of the Board of Directors of Eastern Bank. “Deval Patrick has devoted his career to expanding opportunity and defending civil rights. Just A Start has spent decades opening doors to housing, education and careers for families across Cambridge and Greater Boston. Both show us that lasting change is built together, and we could not be prouder to celebrate them this year.”

2026 Social Justice Honoree: Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick served as the first African American governor of Massachusetts from 2006 to 2015, dedicating his time in office to social equity, education, and economic development. Patrick led the expansion of affordable health care coverage to over 98% of state residents and championed public school funding. As Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights under President Bill Clinton, Patrick tackled enforcement of fair housing, employment discrimination, and hate crime laws, and coordinated a federal investigation into the arsons of predominantly Black churches.

The former governor now serves as a Senior Partner at Vistria Group. He is a Hauser Leader at Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership, and previously served as the David R. Gergen Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he was co-director of the Center for Public Leadership from 2022 to 2024. He is the founder and a former Managing Partner of Bain Capital Double Impact, a Rockefeller Fellow, a Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, and the author of two books.

“Deval Patrick’s career-long dedication to civil rights leadership speaks for itself – leading by example as Governor of Massachusetts, fighting for voting rights, prosecuting hate crimes, advocating for same-sex marriage equality, and carrying forward his long-standing dedication to impact through his work across multiple sectors. We are proud to honor his extraordinary commitment and achievements and continue to follow his lead,” said Turahn Dorsey, President and CEO of the Eastern Bank Foundation.

Nancy Huntington Stager Collaborative Impact Award Honoree: Just A Start and the Rindge Commons Partners
Recognizing that collective action, collaborations, and coalitions of partners across sectors working together to create innovative solutions are essential to strengthening communities, the award in its inaugural year was presented to Just A Start, a Cambridge-based nonprofit that expands opportunity and economic mobility for individuals and families in Cambridge, MA and Greater Boston’s Metro North region. The award is named after former Eastern Bank Foundation leader Nancy Huntington Stager, who during her 25 years leading the Foundation, redefined its focus, transforming it from a model of charitable giving to one of advancing economic inclusion and mobility through collaborative approaches across the communities Eastern serves.

Housing instability, limited access to workforce opportunities, and a lack of affordable early childhood education are interconnected barriers to economic mobility. Just A Start convened a cross-sector coalition to address them together, resulting in the Rindge Commons Economic Mobility Hub: a 70,000-square-foot mixed-use development that integrates affordable housing, workforce training, and early childhood education under one roof.

“We’re thrilled to announce the Collaborative Impact Award to honor the kind of partnership and cooperation that creates lasting social and systemic change in the communities we serve,” said Turahn Dorsey, President and CEO of the Eastern Bank Foundation. “There is no more fitting first recipient than Just A Start and its partners. At the center of their work is colocation: the idea that housing, education, and workforce training are most effective when delivered together, in response to the full scope of a family’s needs. By combining all of the elements they have, these partners created a model none of them could have alone. Forging cross-sector partnerships to drive systemic change is exactly the effort and impact this award celebrates.”

Pictured at the 2026 Celebration of Social Justice are, left to right: Bob Rivers, Executive Chair and Chair of the Board of Directors of Eastern Bank; Deval Patrick, 2026 Social Justice Award Honoree; and Turahn Dorsey, President and CEO of the Eastern Bank Foundation.

About Eastern Bank Foundation
Eastern Bank Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Eastern Bank, supports grassroots community solutions and collaborates with community-led organizations working to build economic inclusion, mobility, and social justice in four focus areas: advancing equity in the small business ecosystem, enriching early childhood development, securing safe and affordable housing, and promoting workforce development. Because the roots of social and economic injustice run deep, we employ a variety of levers – including Philanthropy, Employee Volunteerism, and Collaboration – to strengthen the communities we serve. Learn more here.

Media Contact:
Andrea Goodman
Eastern Bank
[email protected]
781-598-7847
 

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