Helping to build a brighter future for people in need


December 2014
In This Issue
Inspired by a Lucky Suit
Because of YOU
Coming Up
 
Please mark your calendars for...



Annual Campaign
Going on now
Our Annual Campaign continues.  Thanks to all who have already made a donation.  Currently we are at 43% of our goal of $45,000.

To donate online, please click here.

Gift Wrapping at Orvis
Every Saturday til Christmas
Every Saturday until Christmas, 11am-4pm, Circle of Hope will be operating the complimentary gift wrap at Orvis at Legacy Place.  Customers making optional donations of any amount to Circle of Hope receive a coupon worth $25 off any future full-price Orvis purchase over $50 .

Coat Drive at Lisa's Boutique
December 1-6
Beginning today, bring a clean, gently-worn coat to Lisa's Boutique in Needham, 1502 Highland, and you will receive a 20% discount on your purchases. Through Saturday!  All coats will be donated to COH.   

Get In Shape for Women

Going on now
You can drop off your clean, gently-worn clothing at Get In Shape for Women in Needham.  All will be donated to COH!

Coat Drive at Discover Music and Art
December 5
During the Dedham Holiday Stroll on Friday, 5:30-7:30, bring your coat donation to Discover Music and Art and receive $20 coupon for classes.

The Hope Necklace 
Limited supply available
A perfect gift for the person who has everything or the person who gives everything.  Click here to purchase.
    

Revival

March 28-29 (Save the dates!)
Revival will be an annual event to benefit Circle of Hope.  This unprecedented event will feature "vignettes" of beautiful spaces around the home, all created from previously-used furniture and accessories by area decorators, designers, and creative visionaries.  This beautiful event made up of "recycled" pieces will create spaces that can be viewed and then purchased by silent auction, to help Boston's neediest people.  Interested in joining the planning committee?   

      
Special Requests
 hat coat glove clipart
  • Sweaters & pants
  • Durable winter coats - water resistant & thermal boots
  • Hats (with head and ear coverage)
  • Lined gloves
  • Thermal undergarments in all sizes
If you have any of the above, please drop them off at 65 Rosemary Street during any of our              
DROP-OFF TIMES:

 

Monday, 9-10 AM 

 

Tuesday, 4-5:00 PM

Wednesday, 9-10:00 AM

Wednesday, 3-4:00 PM

Thursday, 10-11:30 AM  

 

Saturday, 9-11 AM   

 

If you would like to make a financial donation to Circle of Hope, click here

 

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You Must Hear This...
 

  

It's notes like this that motivate us to work harder.  You, our supporters, will especially be moved by these words...

 

"We are extremely proud and grateful to partner with you..."

 
 
Alyssa Brassil
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program   

Go To Crew Update   

 

We want to welcome the following supporters to the Go To Crew:

Annie Cohen
Margaret Pantridge
Emily Ostroff 

 

The Go To Crew is a small group of supporters who receive an e-mail if a special need arises.  Being a member of the Go To Crew does not obligate its members to donate every time there is a need.  If you would like to be a member of the Go To Crew, or know someone who would like to be on this e-mail list, just respond to this e-mail, or click here.

 

 


Dear Friends of Circle of Hope,

I am deeply grateful for all of the new friends, business partners, and donors who have joined us in serving Boston's neediest people.  With the headlines in the Boston Globe featuring heartbreaking stories of 700 people displaced from Long Island Shelter I am so very proud to tell you that Circle of Hope continues undaunted in serving these men and women. At COH there is a renewed sense of hope for people in crisis.  In fact, with galvanized determination our volunteers sorted and delivered an unprecedented 28 deliveries of children's, women's, and men's warm clothing and coats in just this past month.
 
Where do all these clothes come from?  They come from compassionate donors, some for the first time, others who've been giving all along the way.  You'll read about our generous new partners, like JC del Real of CrossFit ONE Nation.  JC created a day of new workouts to introduce COH to a community who showed their strength by bringing a record breaking abundance of clothing and footwear to lift up the children, women, and men that need our help.  You'll read about high school cheerleaders who brought together Needham High School Football and Cheerleaders in a huge men's clothing drive.  Now that is something to cheer about!
 
Thank you for your compassion and generosity.  As Corey Grier of the Boston Public Health Commission wrote in his email thanking us for our latest delivery, "It's never been needed more."

With deepest thanks,


Barbara Waterhouse
Executive Director 

Five Things We are Grateful For 

 

It's really so beautiful that the season of giving Thanks is the "eve" of the season of Giving.  Honestly, we feel this way all year long because we have wonderful supporters like YOU.  When a non-profit like Circle of Hope is started with a handful of people and a garage, it's not hard to figure out that it took hundreds of caring individuals to get us to the six year mark and to date, provide over $1.7 million of clothing and necessities to Boston's most vulnerable children, women, and men.  So here's five things for which we are especially grateful.

 

1.  Our clothing, linen, and toiletry donors.  From the children who make us the focus of their birthday party or mitzvah celebration to the families who unfailingly bring us their gently-worn clothing, to the schools who run coat drives, to the businesses who collect whatever we ask.... Thank you!

2.  Our volunteers.  Circle of Hope has grown because of the passion of our volunteers.  They come, they sort, they deliver, they organize, they care.  We love you!

3.  The passionate leaders and volunteers at each of the shelters and organizations we support.  Circle of Hope is one important part of the solution to end homelessness.  When partnered with the devotion and resources provided by organizations like Project Hope, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless and Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, we can help more families and individuals achieve the independence they are working toward.
Gratitude


4.  Our monetary donors.  The increase in the homeless population only fuels the determination of our donors who every year contribute to our Annual Fund and other drives that enable us to do more for Boston's homeless and "at risk" citizens.  We have grown exponentially with this support, allowing us to do much more for the 7,200 homeless in Boston and thousands more who are at risk. 

5.  Business, Schools, and Organizations.  Just in the last few months we have received support from churches, restaurants, dry cleaners, elementary schools, community groups, and so much more.  Thank you for letting us be a part of your circle of influence and generosity.
Because of YOU...
Because of people like YOU, Circle of Hope is able to help hundreds of people in Boston area homeless shelters and programs serving refugees and disadvantaged youth.  Here are some of our stories from this month...

Crossfit One Nation Combines Health and Giving                    
Crossfit One Nation
 

On Saturday, November 22, more than 50 people participated in one of two special "Workout of the Day" (WOD) classes hosted by CrossFit ONE Nation at 10 Charles Street in Needham.   The price of admission for non-members was any gently used men's, women's or children's clothing no longer needed. Everyone was asked to come dressed in as many layers as they could handle and as the WOD continued, the layers come off and were placed in a box for Circle of Hope.

From this event we received enough clothes, coats, and 2 cases of new Reebok sneakers for at least 130 people experiencing homelessness.  There were so many boxes and bags that our volunteers had to transport several minivan/SUV loads.  Thank you to all who participated in this fun event and especially to Crossfit ONE Nation owner, J.C. del Real for creating the single largest clothing drive COH has ever had. Keep an eye out for the next creative and energetic event by Cross-fit ONE Nation to benefit COH and those we serve in need.


Needham High School Football Players and Cheerleaders Coordinate Drive
 NHS Cheerleaders L to R from back - Shayla Murphy, Mollie Sullivan, Claire Anderson, Amy Sullivan  
 
Needham High School cheerleaders collected warm clothing from cheer and football families at a team dinner in November and last week's Spirit Night dinner leading up to the big Thanksgiving Day game against Wellesley,  We are especially grateful for the multiple dozens of men's shirts, sweatshirts and pants, always a need at COH.  Many thanks to these NHS students and families for their compassion and generosity. 

Brookline Women's Commission Reaches out to Circle of Hope       
Brookline Women's Commission logo
Thank you to the Brookline Women's Commission and all who attended and supported their 10th Annual Dress for Success Winter Coat & Clothing Drive. We were the beneficiary of the "overflow" of clothing donated which resulted in 4 SUV-loads of apparel. They have been delivered to women in Boston who are striving for independence. Thank you to the Brookline community for your generosity and warmth.


Shout Outs   

Thank you to the students, parents, and staff at Eliot Elementary School in Needham for making Circle of Hope part of your recent clothing drive.  We were very happy to receive sixteen enormous bags of clothing from you! 

Have you ever donated a coat at Anton's Cleaners?  You will be happy to hear that we receive freshly cleaned, gently-worn coats from several Anton's locations.  We love you Anton's!

Many thanks to our friends at Second Time Around in Wellesley.  We are so appreciative of your recent donation of absolutely beautiful clothing for women. 

And, many thanks to the folks at CBRE in Boston who took time out of their busy schedule being the global leader in real estate to run a toiletries drive for COH. Your donations were immediately delivered to the homeless and at risk Boston families who need them most.


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