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.”

Circle of Hope Awarded $25,000 Grant from The ‘Quin House Impact Fund

BOSTON, 3/3/26– Circle of Hope is one of 16 Massachusetts nonprofits awarded grants this winter by The ‘Quin House Impact Fund. The Fund supports six pillars throughout the year with more than $4.3 million in grants: Arts and Culture, Discovery and Innovation, Equity and Opportunity, Health and Wellness, Youth and Education, and Earth 360. Circle of Hope is a nonprofit organization based in Needham that was chosen to receive a Health and Wellness grant to support its Health and Opportunity Program.

Founded in 2008, Circle of Hope provides clothing and essentials for health and opportunity to more than 30,000 people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity every year. Through the Health and Opportunity Program, volunteers make regular deliveries to 40 partner programs in Greater Boston and MetroWest, which include homeless shelters, healthcare centers, schools, universities, first responders, and other community organizations. According to Executive Director Ari Barbanell, the need for Circle of Hope’s services has been growing rapidly and support from The ‘Quin House Impact Fund will support the organization’s expansion.

“I am so grateful to The ‘Quin for this incredibly generous grant,” Barbanell said. “This gift pushes us closer to our goal to reach 50 partner programs by 2028 so that Circle of Hope can keep pace with the growing level of need for clothing and hygiene essentials. We will be able to serve more of our neighbors experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity than ever before and serve our existing partners more deeply.”

The ‘Quin House Impact Fund serves as a financial resource for local philanthropic organizations that are making positive contributions to the Greater Boston community. The ‘Quin House is committed to affecting change in the local community and the club is a space for members to not only further their education on important issues, but also be a part of the solution. The Fund was launched in 2020, a year prior to the opening of The ‘Quin House, and is now the basis of the club’s philanthropy.

“We have been incredibly impressed by how these grant winners have served their communities and reinforced the importance of health and wellness throughout every facet of our lives. We have also been honored to have many of these organizations contribute to our programming at The ‘Quin House, by presenting indelible educational and volunteer opportunities for our members,” said Michelle Perez Vichot, Director of The ‘Quin House Impact Fund. “We look forward to providing funding to local Health and Wellness organizations for many years to come, thanks to the unending generosity of our members.”

The ’Quin House Impact Fund is hosted by The Boston Foundation and has now awarded more than $4.3M in grants to 150 Greater Boston nonprofits since 2020, including over $1M in the past year.

All 16 Health and Wellness winners gathered for a celebration and networking event at The ‘Quin House on February 17, 2026, as a continued effort of The ‘Quin House to provide opportunities to the community organizations it supports.

More information about The ‘Quin House Impact Fund is available here. 

Why some people avoid shelters, even when the temperature drops dangerously low

Even at -4 degrees, there are still people sleeping on Boston’s streets.

Massachusetts has one of the nation's lowest rates of unsheltered homelessness, but it's not zero -- even in the winter. On the night of the Boston Homeless Census in January 2025, 132 individuals were sleeping on the streets.

Why do some folks "choose" not to go to shelter on the coldest nights? Because for them, shelter truly may not feel like the safest option.

Due to trauma history, overcrowding, strict shelter rules, inability to stay with partners or loved ones, or mental health conditions, staying in shelter can genuinely feel more dangerous than sleeping outside. 

So how do we help?

First, we ensure they have everything they need to stay safe in the elements. Warm layers, coats, socks, boots, hats, gloves, blankets, hand warmers. This is the crux of Circle of Hope's mission: to meet immediate safety and health needs so that longer-term solutions become accessible.

The second piece is outreach. Ensure access to information about available resources and connect them to those resources by providing on-the-spot healthcare and case management, transportation to shelter, substance use treatment information, and other forms of judgment-free support. Repeat this outreach often. This is what Circle of Hope's partners do.

Individuals experiencing homelessness need an array of support services to move forward toward stability, even under the “best” circumstances. It takes an interconnected network of service providers and resources to help someone get back on their feet. That’s why we do what we do. Circle of Hope provides the basic necessities folks need for immediate safety while partnering with service providers who focus on the individual’s longer-term needs and personal goals (shelter, education, job training, mental health counseling, healthcare, housing support, substance use treatment, and more). We’re proud to be part of this network.

Most folks would not "choose" to sleep outside in winter if they felt they had a better option. And even if they did? We'd still be there with warm winter gear. Because we believe everyone deserves access to essentials for health and safety.

Out In The Community

We were thrilled to participate in the Light the World Giving Machines at the Natick Mall this holiday season! Shoppers had the opportunity to "buy" various donation kits for Circle of Hope, including clothing kits and hygiene kits for the people we serve. We are deeply grateful to the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints for including Circle of Hope in this innovative global initiative.

We had a blast joining Beacon Wellness Brands and Give n' Glow for a holiday kit-packing event this holiday season! This energetic team assembled 1,000 makeup kits for women experiencing homelessness and economic hardship this holiday season. Circle of Hope distributed half of these kits to five of our partner programs, including Breaktime, Rosie's Place, and Women's Lunch Place.

Thank you to everyone who came to our skate party fundraiser at Chez-Vous Roller Rink in November! We had a blast skating with you and raising critical funds for Circle of Hope. Big thanks to our wonderful Board Member, Franchesca Carrington (second from left), for organizing this fun community event!

Charles River Apparel generously included COH in the launch of their new Patriots x Charles River clothing line, weekend-long warehouse sale, and direct-to-consumer website launch, donating a product for every item sold during launch week. We received dozens of boxes of new clothing and outerwear just in time for winter. We are so very grateful for this impactful partnership!

New Partners!

Circle of Hope is growing! We moved closer to our goal of 50 partners by 2029 by adding three new partner programs in the second half of 2025: Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, Shut Up Until You There, and MassBay Community College.

Through our new partnership with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department's Re-Entry Division, Circle of Hope provides hygiene kits to 300+ individuals transitioning out of incarceration each year. The majority of these individuals move in with family or go straight to a shelter upon release. By providing them with basic necessities, we are helping them get re-established and settled safely and comfortably.

Shut Up Until You There is a nonprofit organization in Boston supporting members of the Haitian community. We first provided winter coats to guests at their Thanksgiving dinner celebration in 2024 before transitioning to a full partnership last year. We will continue providing their clients with coats and clothing on an ongoing basis to support health and opportunity.

MassBay Community College offers free college tuition for most Massachusetts residents. We launched a new partnership with their Wellesley campus late last year to provide coats and clothing to students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. We will continue to make regular deliveries to support students' health and academic success.

We plan to move more partners off our waitlist in the coming months, so stay tuned for more exciting announcements!

Introducing our two newest Board Members

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

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 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.

Circle of Hope’s new funding source: Donation of stocks and securities

Accepting stock donations brings a new funding source, enabling Circle of Hope to support mmore people in need. This option allows supporters to contribute in an additional way beyond traditional cash-based gifts. Accepting stock donations allows Circle of Hope to broaden its types of contributions for donors and use the resources to continue its work. 

Accepting stock donations is an important milestone for Circle of Hope, allowing Circle of Hope to continue furthering its mission and provide individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity with clothing and hygiene essentials.

Help thousands of people access basic essentials.

Dear Friends of Circle of Hope,

In times of crisis, our community has never failed to rise to the occasion, providing critical resources to infants, children, and adults experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. This past year, you helped Circle of Hope:

• Move three new partners off our growing waitlist.

• Provide temporary support to five additional partners with urgent needs.

• Answer dozens of emergency calls from our partners, helping families recover and rebuild after house fires, domestic violence, and other traumas.

Together, we are confronting a deepening humanitarian crisis in Greater Boston, promoting health and creating pathways to opportunity for tens of thousands of people.

But the need is still growing — and so is our waitlist.

Right now, 18 potential partners are waiting for our help, and many of our existing partners are navigating deep uncertainties and turning to Circle of Hope more than ever before. They count on us to fill urgent gaps, sustain critical services, and answer every call for help.

Please help us raise $150,000 by the end of 2025 so we can immediately launch five new partnerships, reaching hundreds more neighbors who are struggling without basic necessities. Every dollar you donate brings us closer to our goal of serving 50 partner programs by 2029.

Please join us again this year and consider increasing your gift so we can meet this moment together. Your generosity will put warm clothing and hygiene essentials directly into the hands of those who need them and send a powerful message of hope, comfort, and compassion when it matters most.

With my deepest gratitude,

Ari Barbanell, Executive Director

New Go-To Crew Request: Toddler Clothing and Welcome Baby Bags

New and like-new toddler clothing urgently needed!

Our toddler clothing bins are completely empty and we still have 6 family shelter deliveries left this month! We need your help giving children experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity the seasonal clothing they need for health and comfort this fall.

Please donate new and like-new toddler clothing (sizes 2T-5T) ASAP so we can send them to our partner programs this week and next week! 

We are also completely out of Welcome Baby Bags for newborns in shelter. Please donate backpack-style diaper bags and/or fully-assembled Welcome Baby Bags as soon as possible so we are ready for our next request. Assembling Welcome Baby Bags is a great service project to do with your classmates, colleagues, or community group! Learn more.

Summer of Impact

When Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham's clothing closet was running low between our regular deliveries this summer, our operations team pulled together a last-minute delivery to make sure the shelves were fully stocked for the rest of summer. Patients experiencing homelessness don't always have clean clothing to change into upon discharge, so Emergency Department personnel provide them with Circle of Hope clothing. Adequate clothing is essential for overall health and we are proud to support patients right here in Needham on their road to recovery.

We love a perfectly-timed donation drop-off! Kristen from Arbella Insurance walked into Circle of Hope with an amazing donation of 84 hygiene kits just as Dwayne Brown arrived to pick up donations for men staying at 112 Southampton Street Shelter in Boston. Kristen handed the men's hygiene kits directly to Dwayne so he could distribute them that very same day! Thank you to everyone at Arbella for putting these kits together and helping dozens of people experiencing homelessness access the essentials they need for health.

Before our donation center closed for a brief summer break, we made sure to stock up Breaktime's supply of brand new clothing and accessories for their young adult Associates!

"The essential items provided by our valued COH partners play a vital role in preparing young adults for success in our job training program and worksite placements. These resources help remove critical barriers and ease financial strain for young adults experiencing housing insecurity." -Natasha Adeyemi, Breaktime's Director of Community Outreach

On July 3, when Circle of Hope was closed for Independence Day, we got a call from Melissa Burgos Cora, Director of Voices Against Violence. A new family had arrived in shelter overnight and urgently needed our help. Our spectacular operations team sprang into action, pulling together the clothing the family needed to recover, plus baby and postpartum care items for a pregnant mama in shelter. We respond to all emergency requests within 24-48 hours - and often just a few hours! - to make sure families in acute crisis have everything they need for health and safety.