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Massachusetts |
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| Group Fills a Need for Children |
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101208100
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The CCB Knitters traveled to Boston Medical Center on September 9 to deliver the backpacks to the hospital. The women gathered for this group photo in the hospital lobby. On the far right is Gale Doane, CCB resident services coordinator, who oversaw the group's Backpack project. Residents, Dorothy Millstein is standing to the left, holding a hand-knit stuffed animal and Chloe Amaral is on the right, wearing a black coat. |
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So far this year, 25 to 30 children have been discharged from Boston Medical Center’s Pediatric Emergency Department and placed in the care of the Department of Social Services. Their lives are disrupted and they face a period of uncertainty. Often, these children leave the hospital to the care of a foster family with nothing of their own.
When a group of older adults at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Center Communities of Brookline (CCB) learned of this problem, they decided to take action. They would make sure that each child leaving the hospital would have a new backpack filled with items they could call their own. Their initiative is called the “Backpack Project.”
Gale Doane, CCB resident services coordinator, and program manager Joanne LaPlante oversaw the project. “The residents reached out to Boston Medical Center because they learned of the need for this kind of support. The Backpack Project brought a nice sense of community to our building, and brought out the care and compassion in our residents.”
“We put the word out and started to tell others about this project and before we knew it, we were well on our way to reaching our goal,” comments Ms. Doane.
The residents raised more than $800.00 through fundraising and collected more than 40 backpacks and school supplies from Somerville’s Title One Program.
The CCB residents, called the CCB Knitters Group, went on shopping trips to purchase items for the backpacks. Pajamas, socks, underwear, toothbrushes, stuffed animals, books, and small toys filled their shopping carts. Included in the backpacks are hand knitted pillows and stuffed animals.
On Monday, September 8, the group gathered in the community room at 1550 Beacon Street in Brookline to fill the backpacks.
The age-appropriate bags – for infants, preschoolers, school age children, preteens, and adolescents – were delivered to Boston Medical Center on September 9.
The CCB Knitters Group is no stranger to making children feel good. On Valentine’s Day 2008, they made hand-knit blankets for the children in the Pediatric Department at Boston Medical Center.
For all of their efforts with the Backpack Project, The CCB Knitters received the Community Service Award, presented by the Massachusetts Aging Services Association (MassAging). The Community Service Award is given for participation in voluntary outreach to the greater community beyond the organization’s own walls or core mission of service to residents and/or clients. The award is presented to a group for participating in efforts that measurably meet a community need.
Financial support from the local business community is always appreciated. To support the CCB Knitters Group and help them with future projects, contact Gale Doane at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Center Communities of Brookline, at 617-363-8026.
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