THANK YOU FOR LENDING YOUR HELPING HAND

For 14 years, the generous efforts of volunteers on MLK Day have supported dozens of Cambridge organizations that deliver critical services to our neighbors in need, provide an important social safety net, and make our city a better, healthier and more just community.

Your many helping hands help to power the efforts of these organization and increase their abiliy to serve and their impact on our community. Each year we talk with  leaders in our community about their needs. and we talked to volunteers about enhancing their experience.

Many Helping Hands 365 continues to focus two goals— 1) supporting and amplifying the work of local nonprofit organizations and 2) increasing our focus on social justice and inspiring conversation and action on racial equity in our community.

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • More than 1,250 volunteers lent their helping hands during the Cambridge MLK Day of Service. 69 non-profits and programs benefitted from the work done on MLK DAY
  • More than 700 of us gathered at City Hall, the Senior Center, Central Square Church and YWCA to work on hands-on projects for people in need in our community.
  • During the weeks surrounding MLK DAY, more than 450 of us gathered in many locations around the community to work on hands-on projects, or to participated in neighborhood and workplace collection drives

HERE ARE THE LATEST RESULTS...​

Food Pantries

You collected and donated 500+ bags of donated groceries along with $7755 of grocery gift cards. These were given to 14 area food pantries and programs.

  • Cambridge Community Center Pantry
  • East End House Food Pantry
  • La Colaborativa in Chelsea
  • Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House Food Pantry
  • Massachusetts Ave. Baptist Church
  • Project Manna Food Pantry
  • Pentecostal Tabernacle Food Pantry
  • Somerville Food Pantry
  • St. Paul AME Church Pantry
  • St. Paul’s Catholic Parish Food Pantry
  • St. James Helping Hand Church Pantry
  • Salvation Army Food Pantry

BLANKETS and Scarves

We delivered 582 handmade fleece blankets and scarves made on MLK Day to organizations sheltering and helping homeless individuals & families, and at-risk children, teens and adults.

  • Albany Street Emergency Shelter (CASPAR)
  • Bridges Homeward
  • Bridge over troubled Waters
  • Cambridge Center for Families, Baby University & Early Childhood
  • Cambridge Multi Service Center for the Homeless
  • Casa Nueva Vida
  • Chapel Street Shelter
  • First Church Shelter
  • First Step Outreach (CASPAR)
  • Friday Cafe at First Church
  • Harvard Square Shelter
  • Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center
  • New Day (CASPAR)
  • On the Rise
  • Our Place at Salvation Army
  • Salvation Army Shelter
  • The Warming Center (CASPAR)
  • Transition House
  • Woman Place (CASPAR)
  • Women’s Center
  • Youth on Fire
  • Y2Y
  • YWCA Family Shelter

 

VALENTINES

At least 2700 Valentine Cards were created and given through more than 20 organizations helping elders, veterans, the ill and homeless and hand delivered to hundreds of elders living alone. Thousands more went from you to individuals in gratitude for their work in the community.

  • Cadbury Commons Memory Unit
  • Cambridge Homes
  • Cambridge Hospital Health Workers
  • Cambridge Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
  • Cambridge Veterans Services
  • CASPAR Albany Street Emergency Shelter
  • Community Servings (Cambridge residents)
  • Food for Free
  • GROW House 
  • Isolated elders identified by Cambridge Housing Authority and Cambridge Police Department
  • HAGAN Manor (CASPAR)
  • Meals-on-Wheels (Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services)
  • Mens’ Residences 1 and 2 (CASPAR)
  • Mt. Auburn Hospital Health Workers
  • New Day (CASPAR)
  • On the Rise
  • Operation American Soldier
  • Rogers Veterans Hospital, Bedford
  • Sancta Maria Nursing Facility
  • Warming Center (CASPAR)
  • Woman Place 
  • Y2Y
  • YWCA Cambridge –Tanner Residence and The Family Shelter

New & GENTLY USED CLOTHING

Volunteers collected and donated 1000 pounds of gently used winter clothing and delivered them to organizations that shared them with other local organizations assisting people in need.

BOOKS FOR ALL

We worked with More than Words—an amazing local youth run organization to collect, organize and deliver  194 bags of books for local literacy programs

Community Gathering

This year’s opening community gathering was hosted by Central Square Church in Central Square Cambridge. This location is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to Cambridge residents in January, 1960.

Over 700 people attended the opening gathering for this year’s celebration which included speakers, music, warm soup and treats. A honk style marching band led participants to the sites of the hands-on projects at area locations. 

Racial JustICE CONVERSATIONS

We held a public ZOOM conversation about Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., his work, his legacy and his call that all of us work to create a more just and racially equal society.

PERSONAL CARE KITS

2000+ toiletry kits were assembled for teens and adults in Cambridge and Somerville.  

  • Bridge Over Troubled Waters 
  • Cambridge Community Center
  • Albany Street Emergency Shelter (CASPAR)
  • Chapel Street Shelter
  • First Church Shelter
  • Friday Cafe
  • Hildebrand Family Self Help
  • On the Rise
  • Salvation Army 
  • St. Paul AME Church Pantry
  • The Warming Center (CASPAR)
  • Woman Place (CASPAR)
  • YWCA
  • Y2Y

PHOTOS:  Photos were taken with the consent of the participants by MHH356 Volunteers