Category Archives: Volunteers

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  • August 25, Our Annual “Rising Tide” Acushnet Clam-boil and Lobster Dinner

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  • Student to Student Tutoring

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  • Thrift Store MAGIC-Saturdays, 9am to 2pm

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  • #GiftsToGiveThanks

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  • Adult Volunteers NEEDED!

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• Stories – Youth Philanthropy

  • Our 2016 MLK Teach-in and Day Of Service

    We focused this special holiday on our service learning initiative with local Middle School students. We bused two-hundred students to Normandin Middle School.

    Forty high school and college student leaders and select faculty, facilitated a three hour “Teach-in” revolving around the history of the voting rights movement, the activism and specifically, how students made a difference then and can again. The program also focused on the importance of voting and participating citizenship. (Day after local press here).

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  • Listening to Anastasia

    We met a remarkable group of faith-based, high school students this week. Photos from their visit are here. We asked junior, Anastasia to write about her experience. Here is what she had to say.

    By Anastasia  – “On November 4, 2015, fifteen eleventh-grade students from Cardinal Spellman High School, including myself, hopped in a bus and drove almost an hour to Acushnet for one of the most eye-opening experiences of our lives. As none of us had ever been to GiftsToGive or knew about everything it stands for, we quite frankly didn’t know what to expect for the trip. Despite this, though, the students and I were just as excited as ever to get to work and make a difference in the poverty surrounding our area.

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  • Listening to Five Year-old Elmire

    We just met two remarkable women; Kelli, an ageless beauty and Elmire, a five year-old beauty, brainiac and philanthropist.

    Elmire had a birthday party last week and in her own words, told us: ” I just turned 5. I had a birthday party and I asked all of my friends to bring something to donate to GiftsToGive instead of a gift for me. It made me feel good inside.”

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  • Dominik and Konlin Turn Five – But Wait – There’s More!

    

    Dominik and Konlin

    Turning five years-old is something very special. Especially for twins! Understanding philanthropy at five … well talk about making our day!

    Saturday afternoon, two ball players arrived at the mill with a zillion brand new toys in tow. They explained to us that they wanted to help children who were not as fortunate as they were and who might not get a birthday present.

    Parents Kathryn and Dennis had this to say – “It is truly our pleasure to be able to contribute. Our boy’s just turned five years old and had a wonderful party with family and friends. We have been truly blessed with two wonderful healthy boys, a loving family and many friends. We know that there are many in the community that are less fortunate than us, and we feel it is important to help others and give back whenever possible.

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  • Cardinal Spellman High School, Day of Service

    

    Other photos HERE

    It’s one thing for us to talk about what we do, it is entirely a better thing when a student volunteer talks about their experience. We are so proud of the students from Cardinal Spellman, and even prouder, if that is possible, of Charli.

    Changing Lives One Gift at a Time.
    By: Charli Carey

    My name is Charli Carey, and I am currently a junior at Cardinal Spellman High School in Brockton. While preparing for our annual service day, several of my classmates and I struggled with the decision of which service site to volunteer at. Last year, as a sophomore, I volunteered at GiftsToGive, and knew that I wanted to volunteer there again, this time as a junior. I spoke with several of my classmates about what they were expecting when they volunteered to serve at GiftsToGive.

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  • A Bright and Shining Light!

    

    Thomas, Allison and Sierra

    Thomas, Allison and Sierra are students at U Mass Dartmouth. They’re also representatives for Greek Life on campus. We’ve partnered with the Greek Life Council at UMD to help us connect middle school students to giving and service. We’re starting with their working together on Saturdays at the factory.

    Thomas Leman, Student leader had this to say – “Today, we were able to take a few short hours and work at something that’s making life easier for children throughout the SouthCoast. As Greek life students (Phi Sigma Sigma and Chi Phi), we know how fortunate we’ve been to get to college and find familial support in our organizations. We now have a chance to help those less fortunate than us and to be that support for the young boys and girls who volunteer at GiftsToGive. We can be examples of hard work and perseverance to empower other student volunteers to do well in school and life. We look forward to being repeat volunteers and mentors to influence and foster greater success for local youth!”

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  • Berkley Brownies, help to define tangible philanthropy!

    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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  • Letting Four Year-olds Lead the way!

    CEO BLOG:
    17 November, 2017 at Acushnet, Massachusetts
    Jim Stevens
    CEO and Founder, GiftsToGive

    OK – so it started off as a regular Wednesday morning.
    I woke up, made my coffee, squeezed my orange juice, got on the elliptical bike, did my six miles, got in the shower, dressed and sat in my den to read the overnight dispatches and review my calendar and “things to-do list” for the day.

    The morning I had been waiting for was here! An 8:45am meeting with a 4th grade class to talk about philanthropy.
    I arrived at the Elementary School on time and was escorted to the basement. I knew something was up, that something was wrong, because the last time I was there to talk to the 4th grade they took me upstairs. Upon arrival in the basement, I was introduced to a pre-school class of 4 year-olds! Oops! I had the 4 correct, but it was an age designation, not a grade level. Twenty minutes later, I had twenty new friends and future voters, parents, leaders and  philanthropists. I left feeling like it was the best morning I have had, so far, all year!

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  • *UPDATE* Marion Cub Scout Pack 32 – Fun, Blazing Speed and Philanthropy

    

    Pack 32, Marion

    Update: Monday, December 2, 2013  The Scouts of Pack 32 in Marion, made a huge difference today!

    In November the scouts participated in their soap box derby and used the event to: help help a local family, collect donations for a food pantry and collecting “gently-used” children’s things for GiftsToGive.

    This afternoon, after school, Pack 32 in full force –  descended on the mill in a literal caravan of vehicles, full of not only scouts, but the treasure they had collected between themselves and other families in Marion.

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  • Presidential Service Award for New Bedford High School Sophomore!

    

    CamRon Frazier receives the Presidential Service Award!

    What does the President of the United States and Sophomore, CamRon Frazier have in common?

    Last Saturday night, at our First Annual “Rising Tide” event, we awarded New Bedford High School Sophomore CamRon Frazier, the Presidential Service Award.

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  • Never ever, under-estimate the power of Brownies!

    

    Brownie Power!

    During their community service visit, Brownie Troop 80172 was upset when they heard how about how many local kids did not have basic essentials!

    They made a plan to raise money and purchase new items. Brownies from Freetown and Lakeville raised enough money to purchase new socks, underwear and art supplies to help over 123 local kids in-need.

    How absolutely amazing is this?

    When people talk to us about the problem with kids today, we smile, shake our heads and tell them about the 80172 Troopers. Talk about bright and shining lights!

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  • “The Normandin Middle School Sorority” Defining Youth Philanthropy

    

    Kayla Smith, Flavia Miranda, Adrienne DePina, India Santiago, Sabine Charles, Anitra Alves, Alianah Grajales, Sofia Dias, Diana Jesus, Rylee Nogueira, Natasha Ferro and Martha Kay. (Not in order)

    Two amazing women; Natasha Ferro and Martha Kay have been mentoring groups of middle school girls, after school, since 2012 at the Normandin Middle School.

    

    CLICK to read their joint speech

    “The Sorority” morphed into a Youth Philanthropy Group this year and with the guidance of Natasha and Martha their young women focused on issues that concerned them. In the beginning of the school year, they brainstormed a list of needs within our community and settled on animal abuse, domestic violence, gang activity, and homelessness.

    This week they made a presentation to the Greater New Bedford Homeless Providers Network. Their speech was inspiring as was their work. Their speech defines the work they’ve done, please read it.

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• News from GiftsToGive

  • We’ve come to expect more from technology and less from each other

    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 »

  • Listening to Gilly

    Gilbert Cabral is our Good Will Ambassador and our Volunteers With Disabilities Advocate. He was the first volunteer to register with GiftsToGive in 2009 and has Read More »

  • Being inspired by Sam

    On a cold and drizzly Saturday, October 14, 2014 to be exact, in walks a 13 year-old young woman who matter of factly and unpretentiously tells Read More »