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Community Corner

Four Parkway Families in Need - Need Your Help in West Roxbury and Roslindale

When all is said and done more than 190 homes will have received groceries this Thanksgiving and Christmas, organized by the West Roxbury Business and Professional Association.

 

For many years, the West Roxbury Business and Professional Association has organized groceries deliveries to families with children and at-risk seniors and adults in the community at Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year’s Christmas deliveries will be made on Friday, December 21. We will meet at Roche Bros. both days at 9:30 a.m. at the driveway abutting the MBTA Commuter Rail Parking Lot.  Those who volunteer to deliver are members of the business and residential communities in the area.

We expect that when all is said and done, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we will have delivered to over 190 homes. This year’s groceries will cost approximately $50+ per delivery and we depend upon the businesses and residents to help make this long-standing tradition of reaching out to help possible. We compile our list of those in need with the assistance of the YMCA, Ethos/AgeWell West Roxbury, the Boston Police Department and those known to the WRBPA.

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We also “adopt” a family or more at Christmas who are in particularly difficult circumstances.  Their stories are below. We can help them by purchasing gifts of clothing and toys, gift certificates for groceries, clothing, and admissions for family-style entertainment or restaurants. You can also make a donation and we will help them with utility payments, if needed, or other pressing needs.  Donations can also help us pay for Christmas groceries for these families as well as the other seniors or families in need.   

Donations can be made payable to: FAMILY IN NEED and mail to the West Roxbury Business and Professional Association, Post Office Box 320113, West Roxbury, MA  02132. Donations and gifts for the children can also be dropped off at the YMCA, Wicked Sharp, 1898 Centre Street or Reliable Trading Post, 115 Park Street, all in West Roxbury.   

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Thank you for your kindness and generosity. We are most thankful to you for your help.

Mary Mulvey Jacobson

President

West Roxbury Business and Professional Association

 

Families in Need

All the families below have contact and assistance from our YMCA. If it weren’t for the Annual Appeal the Y conducts to raise money to help support those who cannot afford the vital programming and services offered, I don’t know what these families would do.      

Family 1 

A local dad recently received custody of his two children. Sufficed it to say that this is better for the little girl and boy, 6 and 5, respectively, to be with their dad. Dad relocated the children from another state and is working hard to keep a roof over their head. Bob is working and going to school and he and his fiancée are expecting a child in March.  Both children are attending public schools and are able to take advantage of the before and after school programming thanks to the Y’s scholarship program for those financially challenged. Their apartment is quite cramped and Dad has to find at least a two-bedroom apartment by February or may lose custody of the children. It’s a challenge to make ends meet but the family is very happy to be together. You can hear the smile on the dad’s face when you talk to him about the children.  he boy is size 5 and the little girl is 6X.  Both wear size 1 shoes. The boy loves to build things and the girl wants to be an artist. She loves drawing, crafts and just making things.   

Family 2 

This family of four with a single mother was burned out of their rental house in September. There are possible suspicious circumstances and it is still under investigation. The family lost everything and has not seen any help from the property owner or any insurance coverage. They are squeezing in temporarily with a relative while they look for adequate housing. The mother has two boys and two girls.  The oldest boy is 12 and wears size 10 in pants and large tops. The 10-year-old boy wears size 12 children’s pants and large tops. The 7-year-old girl wears size 10 pants and medium tops.   

Family 3

This family has been facing extreme difficulty. The grandparents are both struggling with debilitating breathing problems and cancer. Two young members of their extended family had not been treated appropriately and the couple took them in, removing them from chaos and fear into a safe and loving home. The boy is 12 and the little girl is 3.  He wears mens medium pants and tends towards “wind” pants.  He would also like some zippered sweatshirts. He loves baseball. He has not asked for anything at all from his gracious and loving relatives so anything would be a surprise. The little girl wears size 5 pants and 6-6X shirts. Like any little girl, she loves dolls and she too has not asked for anything.    

Family 4

The dad in this family buried his wife a few weeks ago after a battle with reoccurring cancer. His 31-year-old wife had lymphoma, got better but it came back with a vengeance.  She left three girls, ages 7, 4 and 16-months, who are left to live their lives without their mother’s love and guidance. Dad works and is grateful that the Y is there for his family. He is 35, described as kind and sweet and talkative to those he knows and trusts. You can tell he loves his children very much.

Both the 3- and 7-year-old girls only wear dresses or skirts. The 7-year-old wears size 10 dresses and a 9 or 10 in skirts. Her shoe size is 1. The 3-year-old wears size 4 or 5 dresses and skirts and wears size 1 in shoes. The little one wears 18 to 24 months.   

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