Healthy Relationships at Lincoln Elementary

MAAV staff Ali Calnan and Meredith Shaw brought MAAV's Healthy Relationship lessons to Lincoln Elementary 5th graders in December.

Over the first 2 sessions, students tapped into their wisdom and friendship experiences, building on their understanding of empathy. Through a variety of activities, students explored what healthy friendships look like. They spent time thinking about their own boundaries and talked about consent, ending the session reflecting on how boundaries and consent factor into a healthy friendship. MAAV is looking forward to being back at Lincoln on Friday for the final session where students will talk about bullying and explore all the different ways they can engage in upstander behaviors.

Next stop for Healthy Relationships is Hoover and Roosevelt Elementary schools in January!

Student Action Board Presents to MHS 9th Grade Students

MAAV's Student Action Board, led by co-advisors Joe Parrillo and Ali Calnan, presented their first session of Healthy Relationships to ten MHS 9th grade wellness classes over the past 2 weeks. Students had opportunities to explore their thoughts with each other about relationship behaviors, learned the signs of abuse and "red flags" in relationships, and where to go for help. SAB members look forward to returning to these classes in February and March to talk about consent.

Grateful to MAAV Board Members

This year, we said goodbye to three board members whose dedication and contributions have shaped MAAV in profound ways.

Joe Guarino served eight years on the board, bringing his deep business expertise and his willingness to roll up his sleeves and do the heavy lifting, especially at events. Joe stepped into the role of Board President after Joan Bell's 20-year tenure and helped steady the organization during that significant transition.

Maria Drago chaired our walk committee for two years, first as a volunteer and then during her board service. As a former Student Action Board member, Maria understood the power of our prevention programs from the inside out and brought that perspective throughout her term.

Karen Willis's 15 years with MAAV touched nearly every area of MAAV’s work. She helped launch our survivor support group, which continues to serve survivors today. She served on walk committees, represented MAAV at events, mentored through our mentorship program, and brought an invaluable perspective to the board table that kept us grounded in our mission.

We're grateful for everything Joe, Maria, and Karen gave to the organization, and we know their impact will remain as it is now woven into the fabric of MAAV.

MAAV's Board is recruiting!

Do you have a passion for MAAV's mission to end the cycle of relational violence? Do you have skills, knowledge, and experience with prevention, intervention, education, finance, fundraising, or insurance, AND have a few volunteer hours a month to give? If yes, then we'd like to meet you !MAAV's volunteer board of directors is recruiting new members. Interested in learning more? Reach out to Executive Director Meredith Shaw at mshaw@maav.org

The Food Drive's Give a Gobble

The outpouring of support for The Food Drive's Give A Gobble was outstanding! 251 Thanksgiving Food Kits and $2850 in gift cards were collected for Housing Families.

The Food Drive's ED Jana Giminez said it best, "At every turn, Give a Gobble 2025 was community at its best!" MAAV was grateful to serve alongside fellow Melrose organizations as a community partner, and be part of the effort to support and feed our neighbors!

November 24th was Give A Gobble collection day!

T*he Food Drive courtesy photo

Melrose Kind Toy Drive

MAAV was grateful to support Melrose Kind and their middle and high school Kind Clubs' toy drive to benefit Housing Families in Malden. We were, once again, awed by Melrose's generosity to families in need.

MAAV joined members of the club on Monday to drive 4 carloads - containing hundreds of donated toys - over to Housing Families. Donations will be added to their Holiday Boutique opening on December 18th, enabling families they serve to shop for their children.

Celebrating the Holidays with Melrose COA

Tuesday was a day to celebrate the holidays with Melrose COA! MAAV staff volunteered alongside folks from the COA and Mystic Valley Elder Services at the annual holiday party. Attendees enjoyed a tasty lunch, danced to classic, holiday and popular tunes from DJ Alan, sang along with the Milano Singing Group and were entertained with a special performance from the Pomtastics. The afternoon was topped off with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus! What a fun afternoon!

Save the Date: February 11th!

Healthy Relationships for Teens

A Parent/Caregiver workshop

Wednesday, February 11th

7 - 9PM

Live via Zoom

February is Healthy Relationships/Teen Dating Violence Awareness month and we are happy to be collaborating with RESPOND, Inc., WAAV, SAAV and Pathways to Restorative Communities on this workshop! Held live via Zoom. More info and a link to register coming soon.

WAAV: Toy Drive - Last Day to Donate is December 19th!

Our friends and partners at WAAV are hosting a toy drive for families impacted by domestic violence. How can you be involved? Donate a new, unwrapped toy or gift card for a child of any age, AND help spread the word!

Drop off at the Lakeside Inn, 595 North Ave. in Wakefield by December 19th.

Safety Planning Tips for the Holiday

"Holidays are often a time of joy and community, but for people with an abusive partner, the holidays (or even a long weekend) can be stressful and dangerous. Spending time with family and friends, dealing with extra stress, and traveling can challenge safety planning during any holiday or long weekend. Family and friends may struggle to help or support the survivor during this time. We suggest safety planning for holidays and weekends to help families and survivors feel safer during these moments."

Help yourself or your loved on stay safe during this holiday season with these tips from National Domestic Violence Hotline

Moving Forward in Your Relationships

Are you a domestic violence survivor looking for a community of care and support? MAAV's offers an online, weekly support group. Interested? Reach out for more information via info@maav.org or call our office at 781.662.2010

Empathy Building Books for Children

Empathy, the ability to understand the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others, is a foundational building block of healthy relationships, and upon which, the concepts of consent and boundaries sit. Picture books are great tools for learning, talking about, and building a foundation of empathy with your children. "Reading together leads to empathy — when kids can listen and understand the thoughts and feelings of others and show that they care." PBS Kids offers this empathy building book list of titles to read and talk about with your kids.