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BOSTON - Thursday,
December 23, 2021 - Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the launch of a
holiday donation drive to assist the hundreds of families who have recently
arrived in Boston from the border. In partnership with the Immigrant Family
Services Institute (IFSI) and SPARK Boston, the Mayor’s civic engagement
council for millennial and Gen Z residents, donation bins have been
installed in the Boston City Hall lobbies to collect household goods,
including winter clothing, menstrual products, toiletries, cleaning
supplies, and diapers.
“Boston has a long
history of offering safety & being a home to people in crisis around
the world,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “As we celebrate the holidays,
let’s all do our part to welcome and assist our new Haitian neighbors and
their families by donating essential supplies so everyone is safe. Thank
you to all of the SPARK Boston members for their leadership in making sure
our city is a place for everyone”.
From now through
Friday, January 21, residents are encouraged to bring new toiletries,
menstrual products, diapers, and cleaning supplies and/or gently used
linens, winter clothes, cookware, and storage containers to City Hall.
Donation collection bins are available at both the Congress Street entrance
on the first floor and the main plaza lobby on the third floor.
“I’m so proud of my
council members for coming up with this wide-reaching initiative,” said
SPARK Boston Director Audrey Seraphin upon launch. “The support we have
received from the Mayor’s Office has allowed us to expand our efforts to
assist our new neighbors. Hopefully, the donation drive will become an
annual holiday tradition for SPARK Boston.”
All donations will
be distributed directly to families in need by IFSI from their headquarters
in Mattapan. The Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement works closely
with IFSI to provide funding, resources, and legal assistance to recent
Haitian arrivals.
Any questions about
the donation drive can be directed to SPARK Boston at sparkboston@boston.gov.
ABOUT SPARK BOSTON
SPARK Boston is the
Mayor’s volunteer civic engagement council for 20 to 35-year-old Bostonians
dedicated to connecting young people to City of Boston leaders and one
another to collaboratively build Boston’s future.
ABOUT IMMIGRANT
FAMILY SERVICES INSTITUTE (IFSI)
IFSI’s mission is to
expedite the successful integration of recent immigrants into the social
and economic fabric of the United States with justice and dignity.
Immigrant Family Services Institute provides targeted academic support and
enrichment services, using a holistic approach that addresses the unique
challenges of immigrant children as a way to maximize their full potential
in school and beyond. In addition, IFSI advocates for immigrant rights,
most recently addressing current TPS recipients by helping with alternative
paths to citizenship and providing accurate and timely information about
and responses to new developments.
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