Even after her death in May 2023, her family continues to make a difference in the lives of those served by Plummer Youth Promise on Winter Island who face food insecurity.
Upon her passing, the Rostoff family set up the Harriett Rostoff Family Food Fund in her memory at Plummer Youth Promise.
The fund supports young people in the foster care system facing food insecurity, either living on their own or with a family who might struggle when it comes to having another mouth to feed.
The nonprofit Plummer Youth Promise works “to connect young people in foster care or group care with permanent families and the promise of a successful outcome,” according to the nonprofit’s website.
Revere native David Rostoff, who was married to Harriett for 58 years, said his beloved wife was “the most wonderful person in the whole world and she should be recognized.”
An owner of commercial real estate, philanthropist and avid golfer, Harriett Rostoff of Boca Raton, Florida and Swampscott died on May 13, 2023, at age 76. She came from humble beginnings in Lynn. A graduate of Lynn English, she went on to graduate from the Chandler School for Women in Boston in 1966.
The Rostoffs raised their two daughters in Lynnfield. The family relocated to Florida in 1989, and in 1992 the family downsized from their longtime family home in Lynnfield to a condominium in Swampscott. One of their daughters lives in Boca Raton and another in Marblehead.
Harriett Rostoff had a passion for supporting those who grew up less fortunate than she did, focusing on children and families without enough to eat, according to Plummer Youth Promise’s website. She was committed to raising awareness about food insecurity for young people.
“Ensuring families had fresh and healthy meals was her passion. She truly was a woman of valor,” noted the Plummer Youth Promise website.
David Rostoff said his late wife was someone who would pull over her car for a homeless person and give them money. She was involved in many charitable causes.
“She wanted to give back to the community, and she always did,” he said.
Nicole McLaughlin, Plummer Youth Promise’s executive director, said the group serves children in or at risk of entering the foster care system with a goal of having them leave the system with a family unconditionally committed to them.
“It’s to make sure that kids don’t spend years in the foster care system only to age out without a family to count on,” she said.
The nonprofit offers a range of programs and serves kids in a variety of settings. Its most well-known program is its group care setting on Winter Island Road in Salem. It also serves children living with foster families and young adults between the ages of 18 and 22 who are living on their own in a studio or one-bedroom apartment, as well as providing social work for kids living in group homes operated by other organizations.
Plummer serves about 300 children and youth each year, and about 80 young people on any given night.
The beneficiaries of the Harriett Rostoff Family Fund are the children and families being served by Plummer. Many are young adults between the ages of 18 to 22 on their own trying to make ends meet. The fund also helps supplement the budgets of families during weekend or weeklong visits or those of families who need help long-term.
“Sometimes, families need help with food to make that a success,” McLaughlin said. Sometimes, the foster care process involves having difficult conversations with families.
“People are much more able to engage if they are not hungry,” she said.
Learn more or donate to the fund at plummeryouthpromise.org/harriett-rostoff-family-fund.
