Updates on Circle of Hope's response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in MA

Homelessness has been on the rise for several years and Massachusetts is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as housing and childcare costs remain prohibitively high for many families. Thousands of people are also arriving in MA seeking safer lives for their families and are legally unable to work and earn income for extended periods of time. Circle of Hope's partner shelters are beyond capacity and we have a waitlist for new partnerships as requests come in every week. 

Along with our 25 partner programs, Circle of Hope has already risen to the challenge of responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Massachusetts, providing clothing and hygiene essentials to more people than ever before in 2023. As our partners doubled and tripled their requests for donations last year, Circle of Hope responded to every urgent call for help within 48 hours. We helped more than 26,000 people on their road to recovery from trauma.

Already in 2024, we have made four emergency deliveries to migrant families staying at the new Cass Center emergency shelter in Roxbury. Many of these families include infants, pregnant women, and children attending Boston Public Schools without basic necessities for health and dignity. We have provided seasonally appropriate clothing and coats to families arriving from warmer climates, hygiene essentials to children so they can attend school comfortably and confidently, and infant essentials to pregnant and postpartum moms with newborns in shelter. We are working closely with Boston city officials, Boston Public Schools, and our existing partner programs to meet the exact needs of these families.

In March, we launched a new pilot partnership with the Eliot Community Human Services MSPCC Early Arrival Program to serve 60 women in shelter in Revere who recently migrated to MA in their late stages of pregnancy. 95% of these women fled violence in Haiti seeking a safer life for themselves and their new babies. They arrived in MA with very few belongings of their own and nothing for their newborns. Circle of Hope is providing Welcome Baby Bags and infant essentials to the babies as well as maternity and postpartum items to the new moms. 

As our waiting list for new partnerships grows, we are launching a Crisis Response Fund to enable us to form new partnerships while continuing to deeply serve our existing partners. To learn more about our Crisis Response Fund and make a donation, please click here.

New Go-To Crew Request: Infant Clothing 0-18 months

The family shelter system is beyond capacity and we are getting numerous requests every week to help new families with young children. After two emergency response deliveries over the weekend, we need your help restocking our shelves with baby clothing!

Please help us prepare for our upcoming family shelter deliveries and additional emergency response deliveries by donating infant clothing in sizes 0-18 months as soon as possible.

Drop off your donations from 10am - 12pm Mondays through Thursdays and the last Saturday of every month. Our donation center is located at 1329 Highland Avenue in Needham Center. Get directions.

Get Your Group Involved!

Together with your colleagues, employees, classmates, or members of your community or faith group, assemble Welcome Baby Bags full of essentials for babies experiencing homelessness. These bags, stocked with diaper cream, wipes, clothing, and more, help new parents care for their newborns in the early months. 

Learn more about how to support our Welcome Baby Program.

New England Revolution donates clothing to Circle of Hope for Random Acts of Kindness Week

Circle of Hope and New England Revolution staff members with Revs mascot Slyde the Fox

New England Revolution donated 17 boxes of new clothing and accessories to Needham nonprofit Circle of Hope last week. We will distribute the apparel to families and individuals experiencing homelessness throughout Greater Boston through our partnerships with 25 shelters, healthcare centers, and schools.

New England Revolution community engagement staff members and team mascot Slyde brought the clothing to Circle of Hope on Monday, February 12, to celebrate “Random Acts of Kindness Week,” which was created by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation and takes place every February.

“I’m so grateful to New England Revolution for generously donating this amazing clothing,” said Circle of Hope Executive Director Ari Barbanell. “Together, we’re alleviating clothing insecurity and helping so many vulnerable families access vital resources for health and safety.”

Important Donation and Volunteer Updates!

NEW WEEKEND DONATION HOURS

Starting Feb. 24, Circle of Hope will be open for donation drop-offs on the last Saturday of the month from 10am - 12pm! We hope to add additional Saturdays in the future.

DONATION POLICY UPDATE

We are eliminating the 3-bag limit on gently used donations; donors are now welcome to drop off more than 3 bags of clothing at a time. Please continue bagging and labeling your new and gently used donations separately. We also ask that you use smaller-sized bags, such as brown paper grocery bags or unscented kitchen-sized trash bags, so all of our volunteers and staff can lift them safely.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are recruiting new volunteers for the following roles:

• Greeter(s): 10am - 12pm on the last Saturday of every month. Greeters are stationed at the front desk of Circle of Hope and are primarily responsible for welcoming donors, answering questions, helping bring donations inside, and providing donation receipts.

• 1-2 Sorters: 10am - 12pm on Thursday mornings. Responsibilities may include sorting and packaging clothing and hygiene items, packing orders for shelter deliveries, and organizing and shelving donations.

• 2-3 new Drivers: 1-2 shelter deliveries per month. Volunteer Drivers are responsible for delivering donated goods to our partner shelters and programs, primarily located in Boston, Cambridge, and Framingham, using their personal vehicles or (optionally) the COH van.

To learn more about these opportunities and apply to become a volunteer, please visit our website.

NEW ONE-TIME VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Starting Thursday, March 7, we will begin offering one-time volunteer opportunities at Circle of Hope's donation center. Individuals and groups may sign up for a one-time volunteer shift at Circle of Hope on the first Thursday of every month from 3-5 pm. There will be 8 slots available per shift and slots are first come, first served. All volunteers must be age 12+ and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult guardian. 

Thursday volunteers will help sort, bag, and organize donations, assemble donation kits, and assist with inventory and organization at our donation center.  

If you have questions about the volunteer shifts, please contact Christine Ruddy at christine@circleofhopeonline.org. 

Circle of Hope Participates in Winter Walk 2024

Team Circle of Hope

On Sunday, February 11, the Circle of Hope team participated in the 2024 Winter Walk, an annual walk to raise homelessness awareness and funds. This year, we were thrilled to join as Winter Walk's in-kind partner, and we brought several bags of clothing donations back to COH with us!

Our team had a great morning walking with 4,000 other service providers, fundraisers, supporters, and neighbors who are experiencing homelessness. Our heartfelt thanks to Winter Walk for your partnership and to everyone who donated clothing for the people we serve!

Donation Policy Update

Effective February 2024, we are no longer limiting gently-used donations to 3 bags per drop-off. Donors may drop off more than 3 bags of clothing donations at one time.

We ask that you continue bagging your new and gently-used donations separately and labeling the bags accordingly. We also ask that you use smaller-sized bags, such as brown paper grocery bags or unscented kitchen-sized trash bags, so all our volunteers and staff can lift the bags safely and comfortably.

For our full donation guidelines, please click here.

Treat Cupcake Bar is Supporting Circle of Hope this January!

This month, Treat Cupcake Bar in Needham is supporting Circle of Hope through their "Treat Others Well" campaign! Stop by for one of these adorable polar bear cupcakes and support families experiencing homelessness. Treat is also collecting clothing donations this month, so bring your new or gently used donations when you stop in for your cupcakes! Get directions to Treat.

UNIQLO Hosts COH Youth Partner Shopping Trip

Earlier this month, UNIQLO hosted a shopping trip for 15 students from a Circle of Hope youth partner program. Each student was invited to select a top, bottom, and jacket from the Natick UNIQLO store. We are deeply grateful to UNIQLO for organizing such a thoughtful and impactful opportunity for the teens we serve.

Our partner program coordinator said: "Circle of Hope has been nothing short of awesome, supporting all our students' needs from clothing to hygiene to starter bedding kits for college and new parents. Some of these students have seen the absolute worst of humanity, but for them to see the best of it through this generous gesture by UNIQLO...gave them so much faith in their new country and in themselves."

NBC10 Boston Volunteers at COH

On November 15, reporters from NBC10 Boston came to Circle of Hope to assemble Welcome Baby Bags and Dignity Bags for families experiencing homelessness. Kwani Lunis, Maria Sansone, Hannah Donnelly, and Derek Zagami packed dozens of bags for the people we serve and interviewed Executive Director Ari Barbanell for a feature on The Hub Today's Light Up Seaport segment. We had a lot of fun with the whole crew and we're grateful for their help!

Updates on the MA Homelessness Crisis

The family shelter system in Massachusetts is beyond capacity. For the first time in the 40 years since MA became a "right to shelter" state for families, Gov. Healey capped the family shelter system at 7,500 families; beyond that, families would not be guaranteed shelter. The state surpassed that number on November 9.

Thousands more families urgently need emergency shelter but do not qualify under the state's "ludicrously low" income requirements. Some are staying in motels until their money runs out. Others are doubling up in the apartments of family or friends, squeezing multiple families into one-bedroom homes. Migrants entering Massachusetts are not legally able to work right away, leaving them stranded without income for months. And families who can work risk losing their shelter placement if their income exceeds the state's threshold. 

Circle of Hope's partner programs are reporting an increase in need across the board. According to our partners, more heavily pregnant women and older women are seeking shelter and services than ever before. Parents are struggling to get their children to school safely without winter coats or clothing. And families are choosing between buying food or daily essentials for health and dignity, like shampoo, soap, and menstrual products - which are not covered by SNAP benefits.

At Circle of Hope, we are working diligently to keep pace with this crisis and provide exactly what families need for physical and mental health. We're proud to be part of the network of wonderful organizations providing resources and services to families experiencing homelessness and the additional traumas that brings.

Please follow us on social media for continued updates on this crisis.