Our Father's

Last Friday, I went to Our Father’s House to help make and serve our monthly meal we contribute to this transitional shelter. By now, I have been to Our Father’s House many times so I know what to expect, but surprisingly I am still amazed at what a home cooked meal can mean to somebody. This time, we made Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, which came out great. There was even some left over! Overall, it was a good time with laughter and yummy food. Each time I go, I leave with a better attitude and outlook than when I arrived. It is a very humbling and rewarding experience. I look forward to the next time! 




 -Abby H

Soup-er Bowl

Since we aren't going down to New Orleans until April this year, we decided we had time to add in a couple more fundraisers. The Soup-er Bowl was a fundraiser the group had done a few years ago. Considering holding the event would be fairly simple and low cost, the group agreed to try running it again. Being the soup-fanatic and lover of quality puns that I am, I volunteered to chair the fundraiser. We made numerous phone calls, typed up forms and letters that were mailed out to over 40 restaurants, and sent out emails to parents and faculty. The decorations group worked hard to find the most perfect football-related Patriots vs. Seahawks decorations, the raffle group sold tickets at lunches, the advertisement group made a new and improved eye-catching flyer, the set-up group configured the cafeteria tables and made a sign up sheet for power strips and extension cords, the contest group designed a system for voting and made awards for the champions, and the donations group managed to get plenty of breadsticks and desserts donated from local restaurants.

    

As with all other fundraisers, the night of the Soup-er Bowl came and things were hectic. Last minute we realized a couple of things we had forgotten and had to buy/search for them. Nonetheless, everything came together quite nicely and the rest of the night went off without a hitch. We had a great playlist playing, people were really getting into the competition aspect of it all, and most notably, we were all having fun (weird, right?). While we did not receive any soup donations from restaurants, we did receive a whole lot of support form friends and families who donated 10 soups, 3 chilis, and 2 chowders. Congratulations to Nancy Hynes who was the overall winner with her delicious corn chowder.

Dominique

MLK Day of Service

With this being my second year as a coordinator for the Martin Luther King Day of Service, I went into the event knowing what to expect of the day, yet I am still amazed by the amount of support that we received throughout the day from not only students at North Middlesex, but students from nearby towns and families with young children, hoping to get them involved in service. While I was working on fleece blankets for homeless veterans, I was lucky enough to sit down and talk with a few families from Shirley, MA. I had recognized one of the families from the previous year, but the others that they were with were new faces to me. After talking to them for a few minutes, I learned that last year’s event had such a powerful impact on the couple and their two daughters, who couldn’t have been more than five years old, that they encouraged their neighbors to join them. They told me that participating in the day of service would definitely be a tradition that they will continue for many years into the future, hopefully introducing new friends to the program. As I sat and talked to the couples, I couldn’t help but smile. They told me that they hope that their children are able to participate in something as powerful as the day of service when they get to high school. They were so appreciative that they were able to expose their children to such a great event in a neighboring town. Knowing that this day had such an impact, even if it was only on one family,  made me so proud to be part of such an amazing program.

Kaila

Giving Tree

Recently I was given the opportunity to coordinate the giving tree program at North Middlesex. I worked alongside five other members of service learning so it wasn't hard for me to adjust to the new program. The hardest part for me entering this new program was the feeling of being an inexperienced leader in a new program. I felt this way because prior to becoming a member of giving tree I had coordinated the New York service learning trip and I felt as if I had gained enough leadership experience to coordinate a program such as giving tree. I realized however that giving tree is very different from new York and that I would again have to learn how to coordinate successfully much like I had to do to coordinate New York. 

I also felt pressured to work hard due to the fact that our program affects peoples' lives greatly. Throughout the year we would meet regularly and we would discuss fundraising ideas. Fundraising for this program proved difficult because it is hard to raise money for a holiday event before the holiday season. We however heals many successful events prior to the holiday season and that made me felt somewhat secure. However the amount of money that we would have to raise in order to fulfill our goal always proved to be a challenge. It just so happens that I was one of the financial coordinators so I was given the opportunity to worry about funds the most. When we started to get close to the holiday season the rest of the coordinates and I felt as if we needed to raise more money and fast. We were lucky enough to have a lot of our major events towards the end, like Mr. NM, because they brought in a lot of money.

However we still needed more. Money had proven to be the biggest challenge for us because it seemed hard to come by but it was very necessary. We had applied to sponsorships from local businesses but that only brought in a few hundred and that wasn't nearly enough. I was personally put in charge of contacting a local check company that has donated 1000 dollars to our program annually. I attempted to contact them in November but I was unable to talk to them until the week of sorting day due to some miscommunications. I was able to however secure that thousand dollars for the program and it ended up being very necessary. Acquiring this donation proved to be the most difficult moment of giving tree for me personally. There was a lot of pressure on me to acquire this donation and prior to it, I never attempted to receive a donation of this scale. When I received it I was so relieved along with the rest of the group and I finally felt like I was getting the hang of this new program just in time for sorting day. 

Sorting day was the giving tree's sorting and wrapping day. Being in charge of finances meant that I was also in charge of handling the shopping money. Many consider handling the money on sorting day to be the hardest job and after experiencing it first hand I can see why. I spent my whole day crunching numbers and feeling stressed. I barely took a break but it paid off because I had done the job well. We ended the day with money still left over, which was actually a very big deal because again money was a big deal. Not just my station went well however, the event as a whole was regarded as one of the best sorting days ever. It felt so great to hear that and to see what we were able to accomplish. I felt so empowered because I was able to become a literal Santa and supply children with presents. The knowledge that I gained this year in the program makes me very anxious for the program next year. I can't wait to get that feeling of empowerment back again.
Tyler

Giving Tree over the years

I remember the excitement of Christmas when I was a child so vividly. I would wake up before five o'clock in the morning and ran to wake up my parents. They would reluctantly wake up and go down stairs to make sure everything was in tip top shape while I sat waiting on the top of the stairs. As soon as I got the okay, I sprinted downstairs to see what presents awaited me. I would be expecting many extravagant presents a young child would love. 

Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was and am to get most of the things that I want for Christmas and throughout my life. I remember the first time I took a tag from the Giving Tree my freshman year, it was a tag for a five-year-old girl that was asking for socks for Christmas. This tore my heart to pieces. I had been so selfish and materialistic when I was a kid, yet all that this little girl wanted was socks to keep her feet warm. Since that moment, I had wanted to do more with the Giving Tree. 

In my junior year, I jumped on board as a coordinator and continued as a coordinator this year. Not only have I gotten exceedingly better at talking on the phone, but also my eyes have opened wide and have developed an open mind through the work that the Giving Tree does. It always puts a smile on my face to see so many volunteers from our community come and help at Santa's Workshop on our Giving Tree Sorting Day. They are part of a process that make Christmas morning possible for over three hundred children. I still have trouble wrapping my head around this but it is the reality of the world we are living in. It is a wake up call when a small program at a high school in a small town is where families and large organizations turn to for Christmas presents for kids. I am incredibly grateful and humbled by my experiences with the NM Giving Tree. 

Danielle

MLK Day of Service

The idea of MLK Day of Service is to "turn a day off, into a day on" so many of us got together last Monday to serve the community. There were a lot of projects going on that day such as making blankets for homeless shelters, baking dog treats for animal shelters, and sewing reusable feminine hygiene kits; however I chose to go to one of the offsite projects our team had set up.
I took 4 people with me to Wheat (a soup kitchen in Clinton, MA) to clean. They are usually pretty understaffed and never have time to clean so it's always really dirty there. I've been going there with my family for about 6 years and I don't think there's ever been a time when I would describe it as clean.
That being said, it was a really big deal for me to be able to help them get the place clean. I've never had the opportunity to help them in any other way besides cooking and the experience brought a new perspective on their organization as a whole and reminded why I love working there so much. I am extremely thankful for my opportunity to further MLKs legacy and give something back to one of my favorite places.
Carly

Thoughts on Giving Tree

This year was my first year serving as a coordinator as our Giving Tree program, and it has been an eye-opener for me. As a freshman I was given an invitation to go to the annual Sorting Day, and thought that it would be fun, so I went. That day made me believe in this amazing program. I saw so many people who had never met before from all different classes and social groups all there to help others. Nobody was sitting around for the free food, nobody was just hanging out with their friends. Everyone was helping one another and looking for a way to contribute. I remember seeing all of the gifts that we were able to give along with the food baskets and care packages for the elderly, and being shocked. I couldn't believe that something as good as this was happening right at my school. People wanted to do good and support each other, and that spirit is what made me come back and help whenever I could.

In January of 2014, midway through my freshman year, I was asked to help coordinate this program, and was even more surprised as the year went on. We spent most of the Spring, Summer, and Fall fundraising because we knew that we would need around $4000 to $5000 to fulfill all of the requests we needed. I remember my biggest worry was getting enough people to help us, because there were only 8 coordinators (including 2 who had graduated) at the time. However, people had not forgotten about us, in the middle of the Summer, we had around 20 kids step up to help us throw a Lawn Party on the Townsend Common (where we threw a barbecue and provided entertainment for the whole town). When we told people about who we were and what we do, they immediately offered help, be it through monetary donations, donating wrapping paper, or taking a tag once we had them made. This program has taught me that so many people want to do good and want to help, without ever asking for anything in return. I have met and become friends with a lot of amazing people thanks to this organization.

Sometimes, we see things that touch us in one way or another. Well, this year I saw so much that made me happy and sad. A lot of us are very lucky to live the kinds of lives we do. I grew up in South Lowell, where a lot of my friends that I grew up with struggled financially and had difficult times at home. When I moved out to Townsend (a relatively wealthy town compared to the city of Lowell), I thought that everybody had it made. I thought that everyone out here had a North Face jacket and the newest Nike shoes. However, as a coordinator, I saw that so many people around us were struggling. Some people were my classmates, my friends, or people I saw every day. The truth is that tough times affect everyone and that we're not always aware of that. I remember handing off a sled, much like the one I had when I was younger. I remember my dad pulling me as fast as he could down the driveway and watching me fly off into the snow. My favorite part about this organization is that we're not just giving presents, we're creating memories. Just like a tree that drops its seeds, those seeds grow and help other too. My dad grew up in poverty and was a recipient of a program much like ours. Now today, my family and I do our best to give back.

So, if you're considering it, check out this program. Everyone is welcome to help and see what's going on, we'd be very happy to have you.