Things You Should Know …

Please join us on January 16 for our next Philanthropy Dialogue, which will feature grantees Resilient Coders and BEST Hospitality Corporation and the topic of workforce development in Greater Boston.

The Special Dialogue on January 31 with Joyce Cummings of Cummings Foundation is currently oversubscribed, but feel free to add your name to the wait list and we’ll be in touch if we can accommodate more members.

Read all about it! Congratulations to YP Courtney Scrubbs who has been named a Chamber of Commerce 2018 Pinnacle Award winner, along with eight other women, for her achievements in business and management.

Details are on the way soon, but if you have basic computer skills and would like to help with a green card/citizenship drive, please save a spot in your calendar for our next Volunteer Day, which will be with TPC grantee Refugee and Immigration Assistance Center on Monday, January 22 between 10:00 and 3:30. If winter intervenes, Monday, January 29 has been set aside as a snow day.

 

 

Grantee Impact: Friends of the Children
Liaisons: Meg Hoffman and Susan McGarry

Friends of the Children in Boston is one of TPC’s 2017-18 grantees. Based in Jamaica Plain, it works with 111 children, called Achievers, who are hand-selected to participate in a program geared to changing their stories and breaking the cycle of poverty. Each Achiever is paired with a staff member, called a Mentor, who forms a relationship with the Achiever and his or her family, and then works to help address the challenges each child faces daily. Grantee Liaison Meg Hoffman spoke with Yi-Chin Chen, Executive Director of Friends of the Children-Boston, to learn more about her personal connection to the Achievers and how TPC’s grant has helped propel them into a new phase of organizational growth.

Interview with Yi-Chin Chen of Friends of the Children

Grantee/Member Impact: BEST Hospitality Training
Liaisons: Linda Corinne and Erin Rodat-Savla

The tables were set. The napkins folded into perfect snail-like spirals. The guests were seated, and the wine was poured. A sumptuous three-course meal was served. Well, the wine bottles were empty, and the food was one-dimensional and paper-thin. But for the 19 students of BEST Hospitality completing their training in banquet service, the exercise was very real – it was the first time they had ever served real people, among them a dozen TPC members and their friends. According to Joan Abbot, Assistant Director, our first organized Volunteer Day was a resounding success as the soon-to-be graduates were able to apply the lessons learned as they worked to improve skills that will propel them to meaningful, well-paid work in the hospitality industry. Some students served while others sat at tables with TPC members before switching places for the “second seating.” It was especially meaningful to have an opportunity to talk with the students and to hear their stories and learn about their very varied backgrounds and ambitions. One TPC guest noted that she spoke with men and women from Ghana, Morocco, Mexico, and Ecuador.

Read more about TPC’s first Volunteer Day with BEST Hospitality Training

 

Young Philanthropist Update

On November 17, the Menino YMCA held its 32nd annual Thomas M. Menino YMCA Gala & Auction. Among the many attendees, Angela Menino, wife of the late Mayor Menino, joined 10 Young Philanthropists who were able to attend the event through the generosity of a TPC member. The gala honored Dr. Charles Lowney, a physician and humanitarian, with proceeds raised during the evening benefiting the Menino YMCA.

While the honoree was impressive, we were also able to celebrate TPC alumna Fellow, Kerlyne Jean (KJ), who recently became a Board member. As a child, Kerlyne went to the Y and found the services and support she received to be transformative. She now is in a position to help others receive the very same assistance.

The evening featured a variety of fun, engaging activities. Several YP members participated in the live and silent auctions. A dazzling children’s dance troupe joyfully entertained the audience with the Kidz Bop version of “Juju On That Beat.”

The night ended with a touching story by a mother from Mexico. She had traveled to Boston with her son to seek treatment for his congenital heart defect. During this very difficult period, the Menino YMCA provided a safe and caring place for him to simply be a kid again. Though this young mother needed help from a translator as she told her story, her gratitude for the support she received from the Y was unmistakable. We all left that evening with a greater understanding and appreciation for what this organization does in our community.

Also… YPs are working with Ruth Isaacs to coordinate their very own Volunteer Day. You’ll be hearing more about that soon.

 

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