Brookline Thrives Updates & Needs, Week of June 5 - 9, 2023

Posted: 6/5/2023 4:16 pm

This week we've been working on the budget for the next school year; and I thought I'd share a few tidbits with you here. To date this school year our amazing Thrives volunteers (THAT'S YOU!) have packed, transported and delivered:

• Over 15,000 Thrives bags to all elementary schools and BEEPs
• Almost 400 Snack bins to all elementary schools, BEEPs, and BHS

THANK YOU ALL for the hours and hours of selfless volunteering... Speaking of which, we need a few more volunteers for this week. Click Here to Sign Up.

• Wed, June 7th

  • 9:00 - 10:30am - Bag Packing (1-2 per shift)

  • 7:00 - 8:30pm - Bag Packing (2-3 per shift)

• Thurs, June 8th

  • 9:00 - 10:30am - Bag Packing (2-3 per shift)

• Fri, June 9th

  • 4:45 - 6:15pm - Bag Distribution at 226 High St, Community Room (1-2 per shift)

  • 5:15 - 6:30pm - Bag Distribution at 55R Egmont Street, Community Room (1-2 per shift)

If you are new to Thrives, please be sure to read the requirements at the top of the Signup Genius page. Anyone under the age of 18 must complete a waiver. And any volunteer between the ages of 12-14 years old must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Reminder, volunteers ages 12-14 are allowed for Bag Packing shifts only. For all other volunteer opportunities, individuals must be at least 15 years old.

Urge the Senate to Include Permanent School Meals for All in the Final Budget

The Massachusetts Senate's budget proposal for the next fiscal year contains some good news including full funding for Project Bread FoodSource Hotline, work on child nutrition programs, and additional cash assistance for the lowest income neighbors; but it does NOT include School Meals for All in Massachusetts!

Please urge the Senate to include permanent School Meals for All in the final budget. Click here to learn more.

Thrives Women of the Year Every Year!

While I know Kim will have words with me after she reads this email, sometimes we just have to acknowledge the greatness people do in our lives! As we all know, it's been six years since Kim first saw a huge gap in food access for children across Brookline. Children have access to food when they are in school (for now), but at weekends and holidays many children went without. Kim saw that and as the saying goes, the rest is history. Thrives now regularly serves more than 400 families, fueling their learning; and making sure they come back to school on Monday mornings hungry for knowledge rather than lacking for food!

The video below is a throwback to 2020 when Kim was Brookline's Woman of the Year. I was in the truck helping with Kim delivering Thrives bins to the schools when she got the call to tell her about the award. We had to pull over as a few tears were shed on that truck journey! (Kim, thanks from Thrives for everything you do every year!).

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