Needham

Celebrating Needham Bank's Support

A group of 7 volunteers from Needham Bank stand in front of the Circle of Hope van and point to a sign on the van that reads "Circle of Hope is proudly sponsored by Needham Bank."

This spring, our generous friends at Needham Bank went above and beyond for Circle of Hope!

In March, the Human Resources and Learning & Development teams from Needham Bank volunteered at Circle of Hope. This wonderful group of energetic volunteers helped us sort a large donation of brand new sneakers for children and teens experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. With their help, we were able to send hundreds of pairs of shoes to our partner shelters and schools this spring!

Needham Bank also supported Hope Blooms in May with an impactful Field of Hope sponsorship. This contribution not only made the event itself possible, but helped fuel our mission for the whole year. Sponsorships like this one help move partners off our waitlist and keep our donation center stocked with the clothing and hygiene essentials our clients need for health and wellbeing. 

To top it all off, Needham Bank allowed Circle of Hope to use meeting space at the bank for a staff retreat in April. We are very grateful to be able to count on Needham Bank. Thank you for supporting our mission in so many different ways!

We got a Cummings Grant!

6 Circle of Hope team members stand in front of the Circle of Hope logo with a team member's young son, who is holding a blue poster that reads "We got a Cummings Grant!"

We're thrilled to announce that Circle of Hope has received a 3-year grant from Cummings Foundation!! This incredibly generous commitment enables us to scale up our impact, moving partners off our growing waitlist and helping tens of thousands more infants, children, and adults experiencing homelessness access the clothing and essentials they need for health and wellness. We are profoundly grateful to Cummings Foundation for their support!

Why your donation matters more than ever this Giving Tuesday

Circle of Hope logo with white Giving Tuesday heart in center

After a year like this one, it can be easy to start feeling helpless in the face of overwhelming need. Will my $25 really help? Can I make a difference when the need is so deep? Does my contribution really matter?

The answer is a resounding “yes.” Now, more than ever, your generosity this Giving Tuesday has the power to transform lives.

The family shelter system in Massachusetts is exceeding capacity for the first time in the 40 years since MA became a “right-to-shelter” state for families experiencing homelessness. With astronomical housing prices and stagnant wages, thousands of families are struggling to get by. 4,000 children in Boston Public Schools alone experience homelessness every year and are at greater risk of chronic absenteeism due to housing instability and clothing and hygiene insecurity. Up to 17% of public college students in MA experience homelessness in a given year.

Thousands of migrant families are arriving in Massachusetts with only the clothes they are wearing, unprepared for the looming New England winter. Unable to obtain work visas, these families literally have no way to provide their children with winter hats, mittens, and coats. Many of these families are medically fragile; all are traumatized. They need hygiene products for health and dignity. Their babies need porta-cribs to sleep safely, whether they are in shelter or a temporary intake facility or overflow site like a convention center, college dorm, or office building. Without seasonally appropriate clothing, hygiene essentials, bedding, and towels, these families are at greater risk of ongoing health complications and compounded trauma.

Circle of Hope’s partner shelters and programs are seeing an increase in need across the board. Several partner programs are reporting a marked increase in the number of heavily pregnant women arriving in shelter with nothing for themselves or their babies. One partner family shelter had six births in September alone. Many of our partner programs are also seeing an increase in the number of older adults - particularly recent widows - seeking services. For the first time ever, we are regularly receiving requests for incontinence products like Depends. We are working diligently to meet the unique needs of each client we serve.

So this year, Circle of Hope needs your help more than ever to keep up with the growing humanitarian crisis in Massachusetts. Your donation puts gloves on the hands of a child waiting for the school bus, warm jammies on a newborn baby in shelter, well-fitting maternity clothes on an expectant mom who has been re-wearing the same sweats her whole pregnancy, menstrual products in the backpack of a teen who might otherwise miss school during her period, and clean socks and waterproof boots on the feet of a medically compromised man who spends his days outside while shelters are closed.

Every single dollar donated is a message of hope, support, and love for someone going through something as isolating and traumatic as homelessness. While we may not solve clothing and hygiene insecurity for everyone this Giving Tuesday, your gift has the power to make all the difference to an individual or family in Boston, letting them know that someone saw them in a moment of deep need and reached out a hand to help. Your compassion will change someone’s life.

Stop By Our Booth at the Needham Harvest Fair: Sunday, 10/1

We're so excited to participate in Charles River Regional Chamber’s Needham Harvest Fair this year!

Stop by the Circle of Hope booth at Greene’s Field on Sunday, Oct. 1 from 11-3 to chat with staff and learn more about our mission. Bonus points (and a little treat!) if you bring a pair of new socks to donate! In addition to collecting new socks for people experiencing homelessness, we'll have more family-friendly ways to help right at our booth.

Hope to see you there!!

Many Ways to Help

The results of the 2023 Boston Homeless Census were released in June and reiterated that homelessness is increasing in Boston and across Massachusetts. Your support will be more vital than ever when Circle of Hope resumes donation drop-offs in September and we transition into the colder months. The families we serve rely on Circle of Hope for warm clothing, outerwear, and hygiene essentials to keep themselves and their children safe. In addition to donating your gently used clothing, there are many ways to support the children and adults we serve:

Do Some Back To School Shopping. Shopping for new clothing for your kiddos? Consider buying an extra outfit for a child experiencing homelessness. When our donation center re-opens in September, we will begin sending back-to-school clothing to our partner family shelters right away so children can attend school comfortably.

Run A Collection Drive. Collect new socks, underwear, hygiene essentials, or other donations for Circle of Hope. View our Collection Drive Guide for help getting started.

Assemble Donation Kits. Together with your colleagues, church members, or community group, assemble Welcome Baby BagsDignity BagsPeriod PouchesGet Set packages, or Emergency Clothing Kits for Circle of Hope.

Join Our Go-To Crew. Sign up for the Go-To Crew to receive email alerts about our urgent donation needs.

Spread the Word. Follow Circle of Hope on FacebookInstagramLinkedin, and Twitter and help spread the word about our mission. Engaging on social media and sharing our posts go a long way!

Donate. Your gift to Circle of Hope enables our team to spring into action whenever a need arises. Donate online.

Scoops for Hope at Volante Farms: May 13-21

Graphic with blue background and image of ice cream cones. Image reads: Scoops for Hope, May 13-21, Volante Farms will donate $1 for every ice cream treat sold to Circle of Hope

This Mother’s Day, treat mom to ice cream at Volante Farms and support moms and babies experiencing homelessness in Boston and MetroWest.

From May 13-21, Volante Farms in Needham will generously donate $1 to Circle of Hope for every ice cream treat sold.

Get directions to Volante Farms.

Circle of Hope provides mothers experiencing homelessness with clothing, hygiene essentials, and personal care supplies to support perinatal and postpartum health. We also provide clothing, porta-cribs, and Welcome Baby Bags full of infant essentials to their newborns, promoting health and bonding in the earliest weeks and months. Last year, we helped 950 infants experiencing homelessness stay warm, healthy, and safe.

Learn more about Circle of Hope’s Welcome Baby Program here. To donate directly, please click the button below.

Our deepest thanks to Volante Farms for their generosity and continued support!

Celebrating Our Amazing Volunteers This National Volunteer Week

This National Volunteer Week (and always!), we are celebrating our amazing team of Circle of Hope volunteers!

By sorting, packaging, delivering, and picking up donations for Circle of Hope, our volunteers have helped tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness stay warm, healthy, and safe over the past 15 years. Their dedication, compassion, and commitment fuel Circle of Hope's mission and inspire us every day. 

To celebrate National Volunteer Week, our staff recorded words of gratitude for all of our volunteers:

New Go-To Crew Request: Newborn Essentials and Women's Clothing Urgently Needed

Newborns and postpartum moms experiencing homelessness need your help this week! Two women at one of Circle of Hope's partner day programs recently gave birth and need clothing and essentials for themselves and their newborns. 

Please help these new moms and babies stay healthy and safe this spring by donating infant clothing (0-6 months), women's seasonal clothing (S-XL), and Welcome Baby Bags to Circle of Hope.

Purchase these items from our Amazon Wish List or your preferred online retailer. Ship your donations to Circle of Hope at 1329 Highland Ave, Needham, MA 02492 or schedule your appointment to drop them off in person next week! Our delivery to these families will go out on Thursday.

Items Needed:

  • Infant clothing (0-6 months)

  • Women's clothing (S-XL)

  • Fully assembled Welcome Baby Bags

Click here to learn how to assemble a Welcome Baby Bag.

Thank you very much for your support!

February 2023 News from Circle of Hope

Since January, our team has answered a record-breaking number of emergency requests. We answered an urgent call from Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program within 4 hours, sending winter coats, fleece layers, hats, and gloves to protect 150 patients from the arctic air blast in Boston’s cold emergency. Read more February 2023 news from Circle of Hope.