For 2022, still enduring the Covid-19 pandemic, Many Helping Hands 365 focused on supporting the work of local organizations and increasing our focus on racial justice.
We talked to leaders in our community about the needs they were seeing, and we talked to volunteers. The result was our second hybrid event—a week of learning and serving and a deeper commitment to racial justice.
In the end, more than 1,000 volunteers lent their helping hands during the Cambridge MLK Day of Service 2021 helped 49 local service organizations.
In addition, hundreds participated in our first MLK Day Community Walk in The Port and attended our different Racial Justice conversationson Zoom to learn more about the impact of racism in our community and what individuals can do to fight it.
You collected and donated 638 bags of donated groceries along with $1,625 of grocery gift cards. These were given to 15 area food pantries and programs.
We delivered 366 handmade fleece blankets made on MLK Day to 8 organizations sheltering and helping homeless and at risk children and teens.
Together we collected hundreds of donated diapers to give to 5 organizations. These organizations distribute diapers as well as food to members of the community in need.
At least 2,721 Valentine Cards were given through 23 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.
More than 200 of us walked together for a MLK Day Community Walk in The Port to learn about the rich history of the Black and Brown community in The Port.
We partnered with wonderful organizations for the Community Walk (see list below) and had amazing teen volunteers from Community Charter School of Cambridge
Hundreds of toiletry kits donated by the Intercontinental Hotel and The Porter Square Hotel were delivered to 14 local organizations serving homeless teens and adults.
Hundreds of people up for our three racial justice conversations online. We were excited to see so much engagement for this new component of Cambridge MLK Day festivities. We’d love to hear your thoughts at hello@manyhelpinghands365.org.
The handmade fleece scarves you created were given to 18 local organizations helping homeless children, teens and adults.
We worked with More than Words—an amazing local organization run by and to benefit at-risk youth) to collect, organize and deliver 64 bags of books.
Volunteers collected and donated hundreds of bags of gently used winter clothing and delivered them to More than Words—who shared them with other local organizations assisting people in need.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Creative Commons