COH Volunteers Honored as Nonprofit Valuable Players (NVPs)!

Two members of our outstanding team of volunteers, Maria Vallace and Kristen Dennison, were honored by the MetroWest Nonprofit Network (MWNN) as Nonprofit Valuable Players (NVPs)!

Maria and Kristen are exactly the kind of volunteers every nonprofit hopes for, bringing consistency, generosity, and care to everything they do at Circle of Hope.

As long-time weekly volunteers, they warmly greet donors, sort and package clothing, help manage inventory, and bring a wonderful spirit of teamwork to their work alongside the Circle of Hope staff.

Congratulations to Kristen and Maria on this well-deserved recognition!

Staff and Board Updates

Our team is growing! We're thrilled to introduce you to two new and returning staff members, our fall intern, and our newest board member.

Clare Blonski joined our team this summer as our new Development Associate. She works closely with Development Director Caitlin Sawicki on fundraising and donor relations. Clare grew up in New Hampshire but recently returned from studying and working in Dublin, Ireland. A Business & Economics Major with a focus on immigration and refugee services, Clare has experience working in a long-term domestic violence shelter and volunteering as an English tutor for asylum seekers. In her free time, she loves to travel, hike, and go to the beach. Welcome to the team, Clare!

After a two-year stint in the for-profit world, our former Administrative Assistant Stephanie Matern has re-joined our team as Circle of Hope's new Director of Operations! She looks forward to putting her institutional knowledge, along with her strengths in logistics and organization, to work as Circle of Hope enters its next phase of growth. Stephanie lives in Dedham with her family and enjoys "all the activities that Gen X women seem to love these days" -- pickleball, sourdough, Pilates, mahjong, and jigsaw puzzles. Welcome back, Stephanie!

We are thrilled to welcome Mark Goldschmidt to the Circle of Hope Board of Directors! Prior to retiring this past spring, Mark served as Resiliency for Life Program Coordinator and Teacher at Framingham High School, where he distributed Circle of Hope clothing and resources to students in need. Mark has been a good friend to Circle of Hope for over 5 years, frequently sharing the impact of our partnership with Framingham High School with everyone from Hope Blooms guests to WCVB Channel 5 viewers (tune in on Thursday for a COH feature on 5 for Good!) Mark lives in Natick with his wife and two teenaged daughters.

This fall, Derek Ananian joins our team as our Graphic Design Intern! A Waltham native, Derek is studying graphic design at Endicott College and will be interning with Circle of Hope from September through December. He will work alongside Communications Manager Carolyn Conley-Das on various design projects throughout the semester. Welcome, Derek!

Children's Clothing, Hygiene, and Backpacks Needed This Fall

One third of Massachusetts children is facing clothing insecurity, meaning they do not have reliable access to clean, well-fitting, seasonally appropriate clothing. Clothing insecurity affects confidence and comfort, resulting in lower school attendance rates and poorer educational and health outcomes. This fall, please help us meet the urgent needs of thousands of children in Greater Boston by donating the items below, running a collection drive, organizing a workplace kit-making event, or hosting a fundraiser for Circle of Hope.

Children's hygiene kits (1 children's shampoo/body wash, 1 children's toothbrush, 1 children's toothpaste, in ziplock/paper bag) 

• Children's backpacks

• Children's individual toothpaste/toothbrushes 

• Children's sneakers in all sizes

• Toddler sneakers 

• Children's socks 

• Toddler socks 

• Toddler underwear

• Children's clothing (long/short sleeve tops + bottoms - jeans, khakis, joggers)

• Toddler clothing

These items can also be found on our Amazon Wish List. Thank you for your help!

Please join us Oct. 14 for a Fall Open House!

We hope you can join us for a fall open house at Circle of Hope! Stop by any time between 4-6 pm on Wednesday, October 14 to tour our donation center, chat with staff and board members, learn more about our mission and how to get involved, and enjoy light refreshments. Clothing and hygiene donations will be gratefully accepted, so this is a great opportunity to donate if you can't make it during our normal hours!

Circle of Hope is located at 1329 Highland Avenue, Suite 3, in Needham Center. Our driveway is between Eaton and Doherty Funeral Homes, directly across from the Needham Public Schools Administration building. Look for our purple and white sign!

RSVPs appreciated but not required.

September 2026 Letter from Executive Director Ari Barbanell

Dear Friends,

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing summer! It's hard to believe it's almost over, but the Circle of Hope team is so excited to jump into an incredibly busy fall season.

We have received more new partnership requests this summer than ever before. Despite launching 10 new partnerships in the past year, our waitlist has ballooned to an astounding 45 organizations waiting for help. There is no better time to get involved! Run a collection drive, add a kit-making activity to your holiday party, organize a Halloween-themed fundraiser, host a holiday giving tree drive, volunteer with Circle of Hope, or just help spread the word. No act of kindness is too small.

If you are planning a fall or holiday drive, I encourage you to plan to drop off your donations by early December. We have been getting many requests for new clothing, hygiene products, shoes, and makeup/skincare for the holidays every year and we want to make sure we can get your donations out the door in time for the holidays!

As always, please reach out with any questions. We are more than happy to help as you make your plans!

With all my gratitude,

Ari

Staff and Board Updates

Victoria Connors, Volunteer Manager

Former Office Manager Victoria Connors has moved into the Volunteer Manager role at Circle of Hope! Victoria now oversees our growing volunteer program and serves as the primary point of contact for all of our wonderful volunteers. Reach out to her at victoria@circleofhopeonline.org with any questions about volunteering!

This spring, we bid farewell to our wonderful Special Projects Manager, Kamryn Eller, who moved to Florida. Her time with us was short but her impact was great -- she got our new inventory system up and running, created a robust new volunteer training program, and grew our volunteer family significantly. We miss her but we know she will continue making an enormous impact in her next chapter!

We are pleased to welcome two new members to our Board of Directors!

Karen Marryat, Board Member

Karen Marryat is a marketing professional with over 30 years of experience in brand strategy, product development,  customer acquisition, community relations and foundation management.  Her most recent position was as chief marketing officer of Needham Bank, a thriving community bank serving consumers and businesses throughout Metrowest, Greater Boston and Southern New Hampshire.   Karen’s prior volunteer service includes the Menino YMCA in Hyde Park, Charles River Y in Needham, Cambridge Housing Assistance Fund (CHAF), and Pilgrim Hall Museum.  She has a BS in business from the University of Rhode Island and an MBA from Simmons College.   

Robert DeWitt, Board Member

Robert DeWitt spent his career in the apartment industry at GID Investment Advisors where he served as its President and CEO for nearly 25 years. He was on the Board of the National Multifamily Housing Council for over 20 years and served as its Chairman for two years; a member of and past Chairman of the Multifamily Gold Council of the Urban Land Institute and served on the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. Bob has appeared in numerous national and regional publications, CNBC’s Squawk Box and was a contributor to “Multifamily Housing: The Essential Industry Text,” published in 2015. Capping off his 40-year career, he was the sixth inductee into the Multifamily Executive Hall of Fame in 2021.

Locally, Bob served on the vestry and on the Rector Search Committee of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in his hometown of Weston, MA, and on the Board at The Weston Golf Club as Golf Committee Chair. Bob holds an MBA from The Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College in 1982 and a BA cum laude from Middlebury College in 1978.

Cycling off our Board of Directors this spring are Phil Shapiro and Franchesca Carrington. We extend our deepest gratitude to Phil and Franchesca for their Board service and years of dedication to Circle of Hope!

Breaking Records at Hope Blooms 2026

On Wednesday, May 13, Circle of Hope celebrated another record-breaking year of impact at our largest-ever Hope Blooms gala! More than 140 guests gathered at Gore Place in Waltham to celebrate hope, community, and impact and raised $190,000 to support our mission -- a 12% increase over last year.

We were thrilled to present the 2026 Hope Award to Carolyn and Dana Pope and their children for nearly two decades of incredible dedication to our mission. And we were proud to present Uniqlo USA with our first-ever Community Impact Award in recognition of their outstanding impact and commitment to helping others through their brand. View our video about our partnership with Uniqlo.

Our deepest thanks to guest speaker Njiba Mbuyi for poignantly sharing her own story and the impact of Circle of Hope's 17-year partnership with Project Hope.

"The partnership between Circle of Hope and Project Hope continues to support so many families each year, setting them up for life in and after shelter. With the many donations received from Circle of Hope, ranging from toiletries, diapers, and clothing, the families can focus their resources on what matters most: finding housing and making it a home where they can thrive."

-Njiba Mbuyi, Project Hope 

Thank you to every sponsor, donor, guest, vendor, and supporter who made Hope Blooms such a success! In the past year, Circle of Hope has moved 10 new partners off our waitlist and with your support, we will continue growing to meet the basic needs of thousands of individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

Support Moms and Babies This Mother's Day

Mother's Day is right around the corner and Circle of Hope is supporting three community baby showers through our partner programs in the next two months. We need your help providing Welcome Baby Bags to dozens of pregnant and postpartum moms this spring!

Our top need right now is new diaper bag style backpacks. Will you donate one or more to Circle of Hope so we have enough Welcome Baby Bags for every mom and newborn in need?

Several backpack options can be found on our Amazon Wish List and shipped directly to Circle of Hope. However, we encourage you to shop for similar items at your preferred retailer. Backpacks can be shipped to 1329 Highland Ave. Suite 3, Needham, MA 02492 or dropped off during our donation hours (10 am - 12 pm, Mondays - Thursdays and Saturdays).

More Ways to Help Moms Experiencing Homelessness

• Assemble Welcome Baby Bags -- While our top need right now is diaper bags, your support will go even further if you fill them with newborn essentials! Read more about how to assemble Welcome Baby Bags.

• Run a collection drive -- Collect new infant and postpartum care essentials for Circle of Hope from your friends, family, and members of your community. View our Collection Drive Guide.

• Host a kit-making event -- Grab your colleagues, classmates, or community group and assemble Welcome Baby Bags or Postpartum Care Kits for new moms and babies. Learn more at www.circleofhopeonline.org/groupopportunities.

• Donate in honor of your Mom, Mother-In-Law, or other mother figure -- Your gift to a mom in need is a gift for your mom, too. Donate to Circle of Hope for Mother's Day and your mom, mother-in-law, or other important woman in your life will receive an e-card from us celebrating her impact! Please be sure to include her name and email address on the donation form.

Winter Impact

Bannon from Harvard Model Congress picking up donations at Circle of Hope

New Partners

In January, Circle of Hope moved three new partners off our waitlist! Harvard Model Congress is an educational nonprofit and the nation’s oldest government simulation conference. COH provides professional clothing to 100 scholarship students from high schools throughout Boston, clearing the pathway to this educational opportunity. COH now serves Winthrop Elementary School in Dorchester, meeting the urgent needs of students and families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Daughter of Yahweh Community Outreach (DYCO) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support lower-income families in the Dorchester, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and Mattapan neighborhoods of Boston. Circle of Hope made its first delivery in Dec. 2025 and we launched an official partnership with DYCO in January.

Jennifer from Marlborough Community Cupboard picking up donations at COH

Crisis Response Delivery to Marlborough

When a new potential partner program reaches out for help, we make every effort to schedule a "crisis response delivery" as soon as possible, providing them with emergency clothing and essentials while we work to move partners off our waitlist. When Jennifer from Marlborough Community Cupboard contacted Circle of Hope for help supplying hygiene essentials to families in need, we responded right away, providing hygiene kits for all ages from infancy through adulthood. Our deepest thanks you to Temple Beth Elohim for donating many of the hygiene kits we sent to Marlborough for families!

Phyllis and Greg (right) deliver clothing to Breaktime in Downtown Boston

Partner Highlights

Longtime COH volunteers Greg and Phyllis delivered new clothing to Breaktime in Boston for young adults in their program. "Thank you so so much for today’s donations," said Alex, Breaktime's Resource Hub Manager. "We couldn’t be more thrilled with the items. We’ve already had some towels, zip ups, and handbags fly off the shelf."

When a pregnant survivor of domestic violence delivered her baby, our partners at Voices Against Violence asked for help providing her with essentials. Right away, our team pulled together an emergency delivery of clothing and hygiene kits for mom and baby, a Welcome Baby Bag, and a variety of postpartum care essentials. We sent them to VAV the very next day, before the new mom was even discharged from the hospital with her newborn.

Boston Celtics Honor Circle of Hope Executive Director Ari Barbanell

Photo Credit: Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics recognized Circle of Hope Executive Director Ari Barbanell as a “Hero Among Us” at the Sunday, March 1 game against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. 

Through the Heroes Among Us program, the Boston Celtics present an award to an individual or individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to our community. For over 20 years, at each home game, the Celtics and their fans have saluted the exemplary efforts of these citizens during a special in-game presentation on the parquet floor.

Since 2023, Ari Barbanell has served as Executive Director of Circle of Hope, a Needham-based nonprofit organization providing clothing and essentials to individuals and families experiencing homelessness throughout Greater Boston. In just 2.5 years, Barbanell has expanded Circle of Hope’s network of partner shelters, healthcare centers, schools, and community programs by more than 60 percent. Prior to Circle of Hope, she co-founded Winter Walk, an organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds to end homelessness.

“I’m incredibly honored to receive this recognition and even more grateful to the Celtics for calling attention to this important work around homelessness and housing insecurity in Massachusetts,” said Barbanell. “The level of need is growing, but by spotlighting these issues, the Celtics are helping meet that need.”