New Pilot Program at Framingham High School

Mark Goldschmidt holding two bags of donations outside Framingham High School

Circle of Hope launched a new pilot partnership with Framingham High School (FHS) to provide essential clothing to students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

We made our first delivery in December, bringing warm coats, boots, socks, and accessories for high school students who urgently needed them for winter. Mark Goldschmidt, Program Coordinator at the Resiliency for Life program at FHS, told us the first student was thrilled to receive Circle of Hope donations that very same day:

"It was adorable to see how happy she was! She was literally humming music while she looked through the options. She is the student who needed the boots and she was so grateful that you sent some in her size."

Following a public hearing Circle of Hope participated in, a City of Framingham administrator asked if we could help homeless students at FHS who didn’t have winter coats or clothes. We reached out to Goldschmidt and learned that 60 students were homeless and needed donations. Two weeks later, our volunteer driver made the first delivery with coats and clothes for 10 students. We are currently awaiting word on grant funding from the City of Framingham to allow us to help more children in Framingham who are experiencing homelessness.

"I think what you do is so vital and HOW you do it is so impressive," Goldschmidt said of COH.

New Go-To Crew Request: Adults' Sneakers

Our healthcare clinic partners and overnight shelter partners urgently need sneakers for adults experiencing homelessness! Please help us give essential footwear to adults who are homeless by donating new and like-new women's sneakers (sizes 7-10) and men's sneakers (sizes 9-12) to COH.

Please purchase the items from our Amazon Wish List or from your preferred retailer. Ship your donations to Circle of Hope at 1329 Highland Ave, Needham, MA 02492 or drop them off in the "Go-To Crew" bin outside Circle of Hope from 10:00 am- 12:00 pm on Tuesday, Mar. 1, Wednesday, Mar. 2, Thursday, Mar. 3, or Monday, Mar. 7. Thank you!!

Urgent Need for Winter Infant Clothing, 0-18 Months

Infant clothing folded on a surface

We urgently need your help protecting the health of infants experiencing homelessness in Dorchester this week! Please donate new winter clothing for infants, sizes 0-18 months. Shop for these items on our Amazon Wish List or your preferred online retailer and ship them directly to Circle of Hope at 1329 Highland Ave. Needham, MA 02492.

Thank you for your amazing generosity! Together we can keep our most vulnerable young neighbors warm and healthy.

Go-To Crew Request: New Winter Gloves and Hats for Adults

Winter gloves and hat

With heavy snow and frigid temperatures on the way, we urgently need your help providing warm winter accessories to our vulnerable neighbors who are homeless.

Please ship new adults' waterproof winter gloves (size XL) and hats directly to Circle of Hope. Shop our Amazon Wish List or your preferred retailer and ship to 1329 Highland Ave, Needham, MA 02492.

ITEMS NEEDED:

  • New waterproof winter gloves for adults, size XL

  • New winter hats for adults

No time to shop? Donate to Circle of Hope’s Emergency Fund instead so we can purchase the needed items right away.

Thank you for your help protecting the health and safety of the people we serve. We're grateful for your support!

New Go-To Crew Request: COVID-19 Prevention Essentials

Please donate new face masks, hand soap, hand sanitizer, and COVID Kits!

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again and we need your help protecting the health of families and individuals experiencing homelessness who are vulnerable to severe infection. Please donate new face masks for adults and children, hand soap, hand sanitizer, and COVID Kits to Circle of Hope!

Please purchase the items from our Amazon Wish List or from your preferred retailer. Ship your donations to Circle of Hope at 1329 Highland Ave, Needham, MA 02492 or drop them off in the "Go-To Crew" bin outside Circle of Hope on the dates listed below. Thank you!!

Go-To Crew Drop-Off Dates

  • Wednesday, Dec. 15, 10am - 12pm

  • Thursday, Dec. 16, 10am - 12pm

  • Monday, Dec. 20, 10am - 12pm

  • Tuesday, Dec. 21, 10am - 12pm

  • Wednesday, Dec. 22, 10am - 12pm

Items Needed

  • New reusable face masks (adults & kids)

  • New packs of disposable face masks (adults & kids)

  • Hand soap (8 oz or 32 oz bottles)

  • Hand sanitizer (8 oz or 32 oz bottles)

  • COVID Kits - Click here for more info

Change A Life This Giving Tuesday

You may have already read our story of the woman we helped this past summer who was pregnant and homeless. Just weeks from her due date, we sent new clothing, a Welcome Baby Bag, a new mom kit, and essential toiletries for the soon-to-be mom and her baby.

Your amazing generosity made it possible for us to spring into action when Community Service Officers from Boston Police Department asked us to help this new mom. With your support now, we can continue answering every call for help within 24-48 hours, bringing essentials for warmth, health, and dignity to thousands of infants, children, and adults experiencing homelessness in Greater Boston.

To give a gift to Circle of Hope, visit our website or mail a check payable to Circle of Hope to: P.O. Box 920724, Needham MA, 02492. Giving a gift in honor of a loved one? Include their name and address on your donation form or with your check and we'll mail them an acknowledgement card!

You can donate any time before the end of the year, but if you donate before Tuesday, November 30, you can participate in Circle of Hope's Giving Tuesday campaign! Download a COH Giving Tuesday pledge card (or create your own!) and share it on social media on or before Tuesday to inspire your friends and family to give as well. Be sure to tag Circle of Hope and use the hashtag #GivingTuesday.

@CircleOfHopeNeedham (Facebook & Instagram)

@CircleOfHopeBOS (Twitter)

As always, thank you for your kindness and generosity. Your support is protecting and saving lives.

2021 Annual Campaign

Dear Friends,

In mid-June, Community Service Officers from Boston Police Department District E-13 asked Circle of Hope to help a young woman who was pregnant and homeless. “She doesn’t have anything,” the officers told us. Her due date was less than three weeks away.

Right away, we sent the soon-to-be mom brand new clothing, a Welcome Baby Bag, a new mom kit, and essential toiletries. These vital donations helped her and her newborn thrive in the vulnerable postpartum months. 

The number of emergency response requests grew this year, as did our partnership with the Boston Police Bureau of Community Engagement. Within 48 hours, we answered their emergency calls for dozens of families who lost everything in house fires, giving 6,500 items to children and families throughout Boston. Ten graduating public high school students who were homeless received our “Welcome to College” packages of bedding, toiletries, and health essentials at a special recognition celebration. Through Circle of Hope’s Vaccine Equity Initiative, Community Service Officers distributed COVID-19 vaccine postcards in multiple languages to help families who are homeless access reliable, life-saving vaccine information. 

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have supplied our partner shelters and clinics with 166,000 essential items – including 31,700 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) – to prevent the spread of illness and keep the people we serve healthy.

We couldn’t have done it without you. Your generosity made it possible for Circle of Hope to answer every call for help. Your support now will help us deploy warm clothing, hygiene supplies, and PPE directly to people in need this year.

Please give a gift to our Annual Campaign by December 31, 2021 to help us protect infants, children, and adults who are homeless and most at-risk during the pandemic. 

Thank you for your generosity and support. Together, we are protecting health and saving lives.

Most gratefully,

Barbara Waterhouse

Founder, Executive Director

Circle of Hope | 1329 Highland Ave. Suite 3, Needham, MA 02492

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