December 2020 Update: As Covid continues its relentless assault on our health and economy, our friends at St. Stephen's Youth Programs (SSYP) continue to need a great deal of help. 75% of their families face un- and under- employment. The mutual aid that we offer, in conjunction with Church of the Redeemer in Newton, provides bags of non-perishable groceries, cash gift cards or cash grants, and is a lifeline for so many families in this crisis. We call this B-LOVE.
We collect groceries and cash/Visa cards every Tuesday and bring them to Church of the Redeemer, who creates the bags and distributes them to families at SSYP. Starting January 1, 2021, you can also give a check made out to "St. Stephen's Pandemic Relief Fund" in any amount - this fund is used to make micro-grants to families who are in need, in addition to Visa cards. SSYP and Redeemer are very grateful for all the donations that St. Andrew's has been making each week - THANK YOU! Redeemer is also buying fresh chicken in bulk and distributing this to families. Below this text you can link to some photos of the food collection.
During this Covid-19 crisis, SSYP has adapted their programming to offer small, in-person learning pods for kids K-12 at their Shawmut Avenue location. They also have lots of virtual programming to support teens and parent programs.
When you are doing your own shopping, either in-person or via delivery such as Instacart, could you buy some items from the list below? The items should be dropped off, or delivered, at the home of Heidi and Wade Harper at 16 Rice Street, Wellesley (large labeled bins on the front porch, gift cards in envelope in mail box) on Tuesdays.
Please enter yourself for as many of each kind of bundle as you think you can purchase (for example, if you think you can get 8 cans of chicken and 8 jars of peanut butter, then sign up for 8 slots of the protein bundle). Please stick to providing the requested items, but if you can't get the amount you signed up for, don't worry. Also, don't worry about getting a complete "bundle" - we are happy to get six boxes of cereal on their own. Please call Joanna Horobin at 781-249-2166 or email [email protected] with any questions.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
B-LOVE committee:
Heidi Harper, Cam McCormick, Joanna Horobin, Margaret and Jim Blackwell, Rev. Adrian Robbins-Cole
Below this text you can link to a printable list of items to purchase.
Proteins and Fruit bundle: 1 can chicken (12.5 ounce) or 2 cans tuna (5 ounce each) or 1 bag of beans or 1 peanut butter (18 - 24 ounce); 2 cans of fruit (15 ounce each) or 2 packs of single serve, e.g. pineapple, fruit cocktail, pears, peaches, mandarin oranges) and 1 jar apple sauce (24 ounce) or 2 packs single serve.
Carbohydrates and soup/sauce bundle: 1 lb. pasta any type or 1 lb. of rice and 1 box Mac and cheese (6 oz) and 1 box cereal (10-15 oz, any brand) or breakfast bars and 1 box crackers (Triscuit, Wheat Thin, or similar); 1 jar or bottle of marinara sauce (24 oz) and 2 cans soup or chili (10 - 15 oz each)
Visa gift card in the amount of fifty dollars (it requires an additional $4.95 activation fee)