Massachusetts Promise Fellowship | Winter Newsletter 2020

Winter Newsletter

MPF Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Freedom House The Massachusetts Promise Fellowship, with support from City and Community Engagement at Northeastern, sponsored our third annual Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service on January 20th, 2020. This year's grantee, Freedom House, led a full day project based in the teachings of MLK. Conversations revolved around the topics of immigration, education, mental health, and violence and safety. Volunteers from across backgrounds and neighborhoods were able to join together to discuss the challenges our communities face while creating active strategies to address some of these pressing challenges.

The project was led by two MPF Fellows serving at Freedom House, Christina Arecy and Ivy Khevali. Over 100 volunteers participated in the exciting day of dialogue, connection, and reflections on MLK. Congrats to Christina, Ivy, and Freedom House for planning and hosting an inspiring day of service!

Thank you to our Annual Appeal donors for supporting MPF's Culture of Care! MPF held our Annual Appeal Week in early December highlighting MPF's commitment to fostering a culture of care for our youth, Fellows and community. We are proud to report that our campaign raised over $3,000 and was supported by over 24 donors! Thank you to everyone that contributed to our campaign or made calls during our annual Phone-a-thon. We appreciate you!

New Fundraising Initiatives in 2020

MPF Prepares to Launch Fellow Assistance Fund After over a year in the making, MPF is weeks away from officially launching our Fellow Assistance Fund! This fund is designed to support current Fellows who are experiencing financial hardships or unexpected and emergent life events that jeopardize their ability to serve. Fellows will be able to request funding of up to $500 through a formal review process and all approved expenses will be covered. It is our hope that this fund will provide a financial "safety net" for Fellows when crisis or unexpected circumstances arise. Thanks to our advisory board for playing a huge role in developing this important fund.

A Fresh Approach to Fundraising for 2020 For ten years MPF hosted our annual Pass the Wagon event at Northeastern University, a fundraiser that brought together alumni, friends, Fellows, and community members. After thoughtful reflection on our staff's capacity and event goals, we have decided to put a spin on fundraising for 2020! MPF is excited to offer two NEW events for 2020 with the goals of bringing our community together, celebrating the work of Mass Promise Fellows across the state, and supporting our Fellow Assistance Fund! On April 7th MPF will hold a social event for alums and friends to connect, play games, and hang out while enjoying great food and drinks at Dorchester Brewing Co. On May 27th we will hold our first "Stand Up for Mass Promise ", a networking and entertainment social at Laugh Boston and in collaboration with Don't Tell Comedy. The event will include an hour of comedy from local comics!

Our hope is that this fresh approach will encourage new folks to engage with our network and create more exciting opportunities to bring our community together. For our big Pass the Wagon supporters, don't dismay! MPF plans to bring back the event in 2021! We are excited to see you all at our upcoming events this spring to celebrate MPF and support our Fellow Assistance Fund.

Don't Miss Out on Our Upcoming Events

Mark Your Calendars! Mid-March, 2020 Recruitment for Class 22 LAUNCHES! April 7th, 2020 Dorchester Brewing Game Night May 27th, 2020 Stand Up for Mass Promise, Comedy Event at Laugh Boston