The Berkley Girl Scouts Strike Again! This past week, Berkley Troop 75329 came back for a visit bringing a car-load of new toys for our Birthday Program. Photos here.

Here is what one of their leaders had to say: “Berkley Girl Scout Troop 75329 volunteered at GiftsToGive during our philanthropy badge back in January. The girls spent an afternoon from their winter vacation and processed clothes for children in need. Their afternoon made a significant impression on them.

Recently the troop had our annual cookie sales and the time came for the girls, ages eight and nine, to decide what to do with the money they had raised. Instead of using it for themselves, they decided to use a portion of their profits to buy toys for children in need and bring them to GiftsToGive. They could have decided to use them for anything, but GiftsToGive and their education on philanthropy made such an
impression, that they were compelled to give back to children less fortunate than themselves.

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Wareham Middle School, Student Philanthropists

By: Evelyn Chase, Grade 7

“Philanthropy is about promoting the welfare of others. That is exactly what the organization GiftsToGive is all about. I have been to GiftsToGive five times now and during every single group orientation tour they tell us “50,000”. Then one of us always asks the obvious question; 50,000 what?

It may be silly that I remember that number but I also remember what comes after it as well. 50,000 is the number of children living locally in poverty. This statement always gets to me. What this means is that one of your friends, that person you thought was odd on the bus, or even a complete stranger, could or is living in poverty. So hold on and let me explain a little bit more. The definition of poverty is the state of being extremely poor. And although I may be going a little bit off topic with this one, it is extremely important. Just because you may think you know everyone’s situation you really don’t and that is what GiftsToGive in my opinion promotes.

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A story about her visit with her classmates, from Emma. Photos from their day are here.

It’s a Saturday in Acushnet, and a group of students from Rising Tide Charter Public High School are spending it sorting clothes. Rising Tide’s Community Action Club has been planning their December 19 trip to GiftsToGive for weeks, and twenty five students arrived in the sprawling warehouse building excited to work.

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Philanthropy is a big word. It’s a big concept. For a child, it’s one of those ideas/concepts and values that takes perspective, experience and practice. Telling the truth, doing the right thing, not going with strangers, eating the right foods, washing your hands, respecting other people … but … giving away some of your toys, some of your treasure is a huge big deal! Very seldom do we meet a four year-old that had no problem with this, Liam brought us boxes full!

In this crazy mixed up world we live in, to see a four year-old wanting to share his treasure – inspires us to do more and be better at doing it!

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What do Bishop Stang Students know that other students might not?

On a very rainy and cold Saturday morning sixteen Bishop Stang High School Students chose to make a difference. Their gift of donations and time will help over 50 local children, many of them homeless and all of them living in poverty!

Photos from our day are here.

Student Hallie Manchester had this to say about their visit – ” I woke up on Saturday at 7:30 to drive to Stang, where a medium sized group of us would meet before spending the day at GiftsToGive in New Bedford. Unsure of what to expect, I went through my normal morning routine and got breakfast with two of my friends who would be with me all day. When the three of us got to Stang, we went into one of the administration offices where there was a large amount of donated objects from clothes to children’s toys. As we loaded the bags and boxes into our cars, we were feeling anxious and wondered what this place was going to be like. We all were groggy and tired yet excited to be having the opportunity to help others.

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Ollie, an 8 year-old, third grader, started a book club at Sippican Elementary in Marion this year.

Parents and Educators organized a holiday party for the book club group and all the kids decided to donate gifts to GiftsToGive instead of a gift exchange among them.

Ollie’s dad told us that it was great for Ollie to be able to learn more about all the kids and families that benefit from their donations.

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Sometimes … kids will be kids and sometimes kids will be philanthropists!

We hosted a terrific group of  students this week, from our neighborhood school, The Albert F. Ford Middle School in Acushnet. One hundred-eleven 7th graders. They arrived full of energy and curiosity and left tired, proud and with an enduring understanding of how very lucky they were. Tired from all the work they did. Proud of what they accomplished and with a new sense of their place in the world, of their responsibility to themselves and to help others.

Photos from our day are here.

We asked if one of the students would report back to us about their experience. Here is what student Elizabeth Teixeira had to say –

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Jason was our Student Intern, three years ago, as a senior at Dartmouth High School
He then went of NYU and as a junior is doing amazing international work!

Please help him financially if you can.

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GiftsToGive Volunteer Jillian Zucco is crowned Miss Massachusetts!

Jillian is truly a bright and shining light and for us a most perfect example of giving and service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Last Saturday two representatives of Girl Scout Troop 68123 delivered a ton of hygiene supplies. We were flabbergasted! We never have enough of these type supplies to place in our gifts packages. They’re on a new mission, one of early literacy and they need our help. Please reach out to them if you can help!

We asked their leaders to send us a story, so that we had some context and could share. Here is what they had to say – “The girls in New Bedford Troop #68123 chose to use donated funds they received during their cookie program booth sales to buy baby shampoo, powder, and lotion — based on GiftsToGive stated need for these specific items. They also put together “kits” for adults & children — including shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste, combs, and petroleum jelly.

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We recently hosted the 7th Grade from Freetown-Lakeville Middle School. We could tell you what the experience was like for us, but student journalist Lucas E. Quinn sent us this essay and the photos are by student photographer Julie Medeiros. (Photos from their visits are here.)

” Rows upon rows of shelves lined the walls. Everything on those shelves had been donated from someone like us. Colorful toys were being cleaned and fixed and given new life, so that more families in poverty would have something to look forward to. This was the view I took in when I first walked into the factory known as GiftsToGive.

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Q: What do you get when you mix nine Berkley Brownies with 500 pounds of gently-used, children’s clothes donations?
A: Enough warm winter clothes, inspected, sorted and organized to help 24 local children receive a great gift package!

Photos from their afternoon are here.

Here is an email we received from their leadership team – ” Thank you so much for allowing our Brownie Girl Scout Troop to come and volunteer at GiftsToGive and showing them that they can be an important part of helping others no matter how old they are. We had such a wonderful experience. The girls, at eight and nine years of age, were saying things like “this was awesome”, “it was a good experience”, and that “it felt good to help”.

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Students from Worcester Academy made a field trip to visit with us last week. Photos from their visit are here. We ordinarily would talk about the Read More »

First drone, first crash. Read More »

We spend a significant amount of our time interacting with and mentoring young people.  One of our constant issues is separating volunteer teens from their hand-held Read More »