Serving Up Home Cooking to Haitian Asylum-Seekers | | As a single mom of a 16-year-old son, Mona has relied on our Pearl Street Cupboard & Café when she can't afford food. When Mona noticed how busy the pantry was the last time she came in, she asked if she could help. She started volunteering and the timing was both a stroke of luck and complete coincidence: We had just started serving meals to more than 100 Haitian asylum-seekers here in Framingham and Chef Vicki Cataldo was in the kitchen, right that second, trying to fry bananas to taste like plantains for them.
Chef Vicki walked out to the pantry, where volunteers were bagging groceries, and told Administrative Assistant Linda Rodriguez she could desperately use a volunteer who's from Haiti to help her out.
Mona, almost unbelievably, turned around and said, "I'm from Haiti." | | You Can Help: Stand Against Hunger this September | | The Pearl Street Cupboard & Café has been a saving grace for Caryl and her son Jeremy, who eat there every day. The family lost everything in a fire in January 2017. They didn't have insurance. They were out in the cold, shelters had a waitlist, and they had no choice: "We lived in the car for 9 months," Caryl said. For Caryl and Jeremy, it's been a hard climb back up. Eventually they each found housing through the South Middlesex Opportunity Council, but it's "just a room," not home. Unable to visit each other, they come to our café for breakfast, dinner and sometimes lunch. | | | Lettuce romaine calm: Our food security program is growing! | | We're quite literally growing our food security programs and we couldn't be more excited. Construction is underway on the United Way Community Garden at the Pearl Street Cupboard & Café (PSCC) in Framingham! The United Way of Tri-County has partnered for the project with the City of Framingham and MetroWest Regional Transit Authority, which own part of the site. The garden plot is a rectangular slice of land between the PSCC parking lot and the "Banana Lot," named for its shape, which the MWRTA runs its buses through. Thanks to sponsorships from Middlesex Savings Bank and Barrett Distribution Centers, we broke ground on the project in August and have prepared the site for planting in the Spring. | | | Eileen Davis of Call2Talk visits Magic 106.7 to discuss Suicide Prevention Month | | September may be National Suicide Prevention Month, but at Call2Talk, that's the work our call takers do every day—all 24 hours of the day, in fact, as they answer the phone and reassuringly say, “Call2Talk, we're here to listen." Eileen Davis, Vice President of Mass211 and Director of Call2Talk, was in the MAGIC 106.7 FM studio recently, talking to morning show co-host David O'Leary about how to stop someone from wanting to die. | | | Barbara LaGrenade serves as Grand Marshal of the Marlborough Labor Day Parade | | Hats off to longtime Marlborough Community Cupboard (MCC) Director Barbara LaGrenade, whose job was to just "smile and wave" as Grand Marshal of the City's 71st Annual Labor Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 4th. To cheers and chants of "Barbara, Barbara!" she basked in the glory while riding on an Americana-themed float with her pantry manager Gretel Anspach and some other volunteers. Wearing a golf visor and dressed in red, white and blue, Barbara waved enthusiastically to the many spectators she knew. | | | | United Way Corporate Supporter: Murata Power Solutions | | Earlier this year we were excited to bring back our MetroWest Corporate 5K in a new Marlborough location. This race was a huge success thanks in part to our many new corporate sponsors including Murata located in Westborough, MA.
Murata prioritizes communication with local communities, striving to address local issues and engage in philanthropic activities. | | | The United Way of Tri-County was thrilled to provide new backpacks full of “Tools for School” this year to over 1,000 children from low-income families across MetroWest. | | Every donation made a difference and we’re grateful to everyone who collected supplies or helped fill and sort bags. Thanks to all those who signed up to sponsor a child and went shopping—we loved seeing the personalization and care you put into choosing a bag the child would like, equipped with everything from erasers to pencil cases and paper. | | | Please join us on Saturday, September 23 from 2-5 pm for a fun family event and launch of the United Way of Tri-County Community Garden. We will be planting hundreds of bulbs for spring pollination at 2:30 in memory of those who we have lost to suicide.
Resources for hope will be provided by our community partners. | | | Run, Walk or Hops to the Jack's Abby United Way 5K | Register today for this fun 3.1 mile run/walk through Framingham on Saturday, October 14 at 10AM. Proceeds to benefit the programs of the United Way. The Beer Hall & Kitchen and outside beer garden will be open after the race. We're still in need of volunteers to help on race day and we also have a few sponsorships available. | | | Feed-A-Family: Holiday Meal Drive | Our annual Feed-A-Family holiday meal drive kicked off on September 1st. Your $50 donation will provide a complete holiday meal with all of the trimmings for a local family in need. This year we are expecting an increased number of families in MetroWest, Marlborough and Greater Clinton. | | | | It's the most RUNderful time of the year! | Register today for this fun 3.1 mile run/walk through Clinton on Saturday, December 2 at 10AM. Proceeds to benefit WHEAT Community Connections. The race will start and end at Break-Away Billiards. Stick around for the fun after party indoors at Break-Away. | | | UWDS United Way Distribution Services | Thanks to these five fabulous volunteers from BJ's Wholesale Club for spending your Day of Caring at our Crossdock on Blandin Avenue in Framingham. It was a huge help as we received a delivery from The Greater Boston Food Bank and shared it with agencies from across MetroWest. | | Call2Talk Mental Health Program | MUST WATCH— We were honored to have WBZ-TV (Boston)’s Anna Meiler visit Call2Talk for this story on the 1st anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s been an incredible year of lifesaving calls, hope and better access to help for those struggling with their mental health. | | Marlborough Community Cupboard | Isaac Ladas, a Marlborough Public Schools freshman, wowed us with the results of his sneaker drive benefiting our Marlborough Community Cupboard: over 400 pair of brand-new kicks donated for kids in need. Everyone is amazed by the “shoe store” in our office and so many students are picking out a favorite pair to wear back to school. Big, big thanks to Isaac and his mom, Amanda, for organizing this to help those who are less fortunate. | | Ready to Read Early Literacy program | | ANSWER: Underprivileged kids ages 0-5 in the United Way of Tri-County service area get 12 free books a year through this program to build skills for Kindergarten and help them learn & succeed. ( likely to be proficient readers by 3rd grade, likely to drop out of school, likely to go to college!) QUESTION: What is Ready to Read?! | | We Need Your Help! Share your time. Share your talents. Share your love for community. | | TJX Associates volunteering at the Pearl Street Cupboard & Café | | The Volunteer Center offers a variety of programs and opportunities that make it easy for you to volunteer, no matter what your schedule is. The Volunteer Center connects employers and employees with organizations and programs that match their talents and interests. | | | | |
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